Browsing: Rugby world cup

News
Air New Zealand extends ABs sponsorship, stocks up on black paint
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As the nation shrugs off its collective hangover and tries to return to normality, many are struggling to remember life before the World Cup… What did we care about? What do I do? But at Air New Zealand it was straight back to business as usual, and first up was ensuring the airline’s continuing support for the All Blacks.

News
A requisite message of All Blacks support
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Years of pain, suffering and putting up with calls from antagonists who try to dull the throbbing hurt by saying ‘it’s only a game’ might—and should—all be forgotten on Sunday night. And, from a marketing point of view, what a ride the RWC has been. There have been enthralling PR disasters with the likes of MasterCard, Adidas, Telecom and the IRB; there have been PR masterstrokes, like getting the whole NZ-based Tongan community behind their team; there have been great campaigns and stunts that sit somewhere between sneaky and savvy from the likes of Steinlager, NZ Pure, Vogel’s and KFC; there have been more than three million Tweets about the tournament and the teams involved in it; and, despite many doubters, Martin Snedden and his gang of RWC 2011 optimists managed to reach their massive ticket sales target and, with 87 percent of tickets sold, showed that marketing and fulfilment don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Hopefully that ride comes to an appropriate conclusion in Auckland, which, as one cad said, has looked like an artist’s impression for the past six weeks. And hopefully Richie McCaw gets to lead the ticker tape parade down Queen St in Telecom’s pink fist car, perhaps with the injured Captain Underpants riding shotgun. 

News
Brancott Estate marks its RWC turf with, er, turf
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Rugby World Cup (RWC) sponsorship activity is already rampant and as some visitors get set to make the most of the tournament by heading along to the games or watching them at Party Central, they’re being given a taster of what they’re in for, quite literally by way of taste. RWC sponsor Brancott Estate, in conjunction with EYE and creative agency Pim, has created a virtual vineyard at Auckland International Airport that stretches across both arrivals halls and extends onto travelators, walls, floors and ceilings.

News
Nielsen diagnoses rugby fever in 81 percent of nation
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In case you haven’t noticed, the nation has fully embraced the Rugby World Cup, as evidenced most clearly during opening night festivities, when, according to a special survey of all the individuals (15+) in Nielsen’s 500-home TAM panel, the opening game was watched by 81 percent of all New Zealanders, with 11 percent of those watching it at a pub or outdoor venue. 

News
On location: Heineken launches RWC app
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When it comes to making successful branded apps, there are generally two rules: either make it useful or give it some novelty value. And, if possible, combine elements of both. And Heineken and &some have done just that with a new smartphone app that shows locals and visitors where to find official RWC bars, as well as their mates, their rivals, a taxi home and, if they’re lucky, even some tickets to the final. 

News
Vogel’s joins the rolling marketing maul
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Rugby is infused into a vast array of marketing campaigns at the moment and there have already been a few savvy and seemingly legal attempts by non-sponsors to skirt the rules and cash in on the Big Rugby Event. Unashamedly patriotic bread brand Vogel’s and its agency Publicis Mojo are the latest to join that cheeky anti-establishment club with another simple but very effective outdoor campaign that welcomes the tournament and offers some support to the boys.

News
Sky pins ears back, shows more toe than roman sandal
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If you were watching the All Blacks vs South Africa test on Saturday, you may have noticed what appeared to be yet another earnest, borderline homo-erotic rugby-themed ad featuring bulging muscular thighs pumping away in slow-motion as the All Blacks presumably surge to victory. But this brooding, black and white number for Sky by DDB and Prodigy isn’t your typically serious World Cup year effort. 

News
Bookabach RWC campaign gets spidey senses tingling—UPDATED
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There’s been plenty of discussion about the Major Events Management Act (MEMA) and the steps being taken by organisers to limit so-called ambush marketing during the upcoming ‘Big Rugby Event’. Some say the rules are too draconian and kowtow to the corporates, while others believe they’re fair enough because they aim to protect the sizable investment of the Rugby World Cup’s official sponsors. Urgent Courier’s Mobile AdVert has already come under fire from OMANZ for a possible breach. And we’ve found a campaign on AA’s Bookabach.co.nz that looks like it’s in a very similar boat. 

News
Devise rugby-related wine, win rugby-related wine
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Brancott Estate—creators of the original Marlborough sauvignon blanc and the company formerly known as Montana—forked out to sponsor the Rugby World Cup and, as the official wine of the tournament, VIPs from around the world will be imbibing its sweet nectar during the event. But never fear, paupers can still get a taste of the good stuff, with the added excitement of a new vintage housed in a limited edition RWC bottle. We’ve got a couple of triple packs to give away and all you have to do is come up with a rugby-related wine brand (for example, Yellow Cardonnay, Fly Half Gully or Liniment Cliffs). 

News
Coca-Cola joins RWC advertising blitz with grass-roots touch
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As the Rugby World Cup draws closer and Kiwis inevitably succumb to the ensuing mayhem, ticket to the matches are becoming an increasingly prized commodity—especially when they’re tickets to the quarters, semis and the finals. And wouldn’t you know it, Coca-Cola is planning to capitalise on that enthusiasm with a multi-channel campaign that includes what it says is its largest ever on-pack promotion.

News
RWC ‘clean zones’ finally established
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After a fair bit bureaucratic faffing, the clean zones for the Rugby World Cup 2011 have been announced, so agencies and advertisers now know where they can and can’t put their marketing during the tournament. And in some cases, the restrictions are quite extensive.

News
Rugby World Cup forms portable/print unions
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Ah, the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The time when all New Zealanders unite to celebrate sponsorship. And rugby. With the likes of MasterCard, Landrover, Toshiba, Brancott Estate/Montana, Heineken and ANZ already joining the official sponsorship ranks, comes news BlackBerry developers Research in Motion (RIM) will be nuzzling in for some cozy sponsorship action, with BlackBerry becoming the “official handheld mobile device” for the tournament. ACP is also involved, winning the contract as the official publisher. 

News
Winning MasterCard’s PR business: priceless
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MasterCard Worldwide has appointed Acumen Republic as its New Zealand communications agency after a competitive pitch and it will manage MasterCard’s corporate, consumer and government relations, as well as marketing communications activity for its sponsorship of Rugby World Cup 2011 and the All Blacks.

Opinion
God defend New Zealand: is overlooking Kiwi comms talent a sin?
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I once heard about a wine industry meltdown when New Zealand wine wasn’t on the menu for an Auckland-based Tourism New Zealand schmooze function. And good on the winemakers for kicking up a stink, I say. Yet who would do the same if the branding, media services, website or PR wasn’t run by Kiwis? Overlooking New Zealand talent for ‘experts from out of town’ is a hate-crime against the country and, in front-facing services such as marketing and communications, it’s just bloody stupid.

News
Amid the new agency chatter, ANZ launches massive Rugby World Cup campaign—UPDATED
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As the industry worked itself into a gibbering mass of excitement after it was announced late last week that the ANZ account had shifted to TBWA\, ANZ, DDB and Ogilvy Media were getting ready to launch their ‘Welcome the World’ promotion as part of the bank’s Rugby World Cup sponsorship. And with a big TV blockout on Sunday, a flash mob-esque stunt to welcome commuters in Auckland and Wellington this morning and plenty more media activity planned to ramp up interest in the competition, it’s set to be the bank’s biggest promotion yet—and quite possibly the biggest of the tournament. 

News
No streakers, just hardcore RWC action
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The awfully shouty Gunnery Sgt Cleaver is still on a mission to get SKY cameramen ‘Match Fit’ for the Rugby World Cup 2011. And DDB New Zealand and Prodigy Films have maintained the quality—and the self-reflexive humour—for the third instalment of the series with ‘Shooting Practice’. Sadly for many red-blooded rugby fans, however, it seems streakers are still off limits.

News
Warning sent out as RWC authorities get set to pounce on opportunists
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A senior Wellington intellectual property consultant is warning Kiwis and small businesses hoping to take advantage of the commercial opportunities afforded by the Rugby World Cup that, when it comes to protecting the interests of the tournament’s commercial partners, the authorities are likely to be just as vigilant as their FIFA companions were at the Football World Cup in South Africa. But not everyone thinks New Zealand’s business opportunists will have their hands completely tied by the supposedly draconian rugby overlords.

News
Getting Vile: Adshel nabs new sales manager
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Adshel recently moved back to Parnell after spending a few years in a city office. But that’s not all that’s new: as of next week it will also have a new sales manager, with ex-MediaWorks, New Zealand Rugby Union and Oggi man Nick Vile proving to be the standout candidate in the search to find a replacement for Pauline Hanton, who recently announced the arrival of her new shopper marketing offering Hypermedia.

Opinion
Five top online marketing tips to help you climb the search ladder
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With more and more visitors to New Zealand researching online—and with the Rugby World Cup just around the corner—there is a big opportunity for increased business across a range of different sectors. So how do you move up the search chain and tap into that demand? First Rate’s Grant Osbourne offers a few digital tips for tourist operators and, by extension, other small business owners and marketers who are hoping to enhance their online presence.

News
Just one year out and questions on RWC ‘clean zones’ still to be answered
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DHL announced its sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup today (and to celebrate Grant Fox kicked a rugby ball off the Skytower). And while the rules for the tournament’s official sponsors seem fairly clear, media owners, media buyers and the host of other companies that haven’t forked out but are hoping to jump on the RWC marketing bandwagon are still waiting to find out from the government how the Major Events Management Act (MEMA) could affect marketing activities, particularly when it comes to out-of-home media.

News
Pitching for the rugby pitch
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If you’re a clever cookie you’ll be sure to take advantage of the economic juices that will come flowing from the sporting fiasco that is the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). After all, the event is expected to bring at least 60,000 visitors and about 2000 media to the country, resulting in an economic benefit for Auckland of an estimated $267 million.

News
Rugby World Cup puts The Feelers out
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The launch presentation for the ‘first phase’ of the Rugby World Cup has been given, the phrase once in a life-time was used way too often and the rumours were true: The Feelers will be the voice (and, judging by the falsetto in the Jesus Jones song Right Here, Right Now, not a particularly good one) of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

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