The Blues, FEDERATION team up to recruit new supporters

With Super Rugby back on in 2021, the Blues and independent agency FEDERATION partnered to recruit a new tribe of supporters – more specifically, Auckland-based supporters of other teams.

The concept, ‘Bring it Blue’, tapped into the insight that many Aucklanders aren’t originally from the City of Sails and are loyal to their home teams. FEDERATION identified a well-known Auckland personality whose hometown is Wellington and launched an activation to ‘Bring it Blue’.  

Andrew ‘Mulls’ Mulligan – The Rock’s breakfast show co-host and a famously passionate Hurricane’s supporter – was the perfect target. His Morning Rumble co-hosts executed multiple pranks, live on the show, raising awareness for the upcoming Blues vs Hurricanes match – while encouraging Blues fans to get their non-Blues supporting friends and family behind the team too.

GM of Operations at The Blues, Sarah D’Audney, says: “‘Bring it Blue’ was a fantastic idea to create some serious competitive banter, have a bit of fun, and try to convert those that hadn’t yet considered following the Blues.”

Real pranks turned into hilarious online content to attract new-to-Blue supporters, including a faux photo shoot of Mulls as the face of a Blues billboard. He ‘won’ a car that happened to be Blues branded, received a jersey from the current squad, and even announced his support for the team live at Eden Park on match day.

FEDERATION Managing Partner, Olly Boden, says: “We treated Aucklanders to some seriously engaging content in the lead up to game day. Throughout the week we reached over 100k listeners on-air, over 100k Aucklanders with the billboard and over 300k fans via social. 

“The response was great, Blues players even waded in to send Mulls personal text messages celebrating his switch over to the blue side.”