11/07/2017

ASB’s Goodbye To The ‘Ghost of San Francisco’ Leverages Emirates New Zealand Team’s America’s Cup Win

Early July sees ASB release a new campaign called ‘The Ghost of San Francisco’ which activates its supplier partnership with the victorious Emirates Team New Zealand.

 

The campaign roll out is timed to coincide with the team’s triumphant return home and the initiative is a homecoming tribute to the sailing team’s historic victory in the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda.

 

ASB, which is a third tier team supplier, has a long term relationship with Emirates Team New Zealand which dates back to 2000.

 

The bank’s campaign, developed in harness with WiTH Collective (following the agency’s recent expansion into New Zealand) and The Downlow Concept and is led by a spearhead spot first posted on 9 July.

 

This lead TV ad features a ghostly character, dressed in sailing cap and classic naval officer style blazer, reflects on the job he’s done for the last four years.

 

This ghost says: “I mean, how often do you get the chance to haunt an entire nation?”

 

Yet, after NZ’s win he packs up his things and prepares to leave, saying he’s happy the team won and that he is “celebrating the prospect of a new job and looking forward to fewer late nights.”

 

Thus the ad’s narrative proposes that now Emirates Team New Zealand have brought the America’s Cup back to New Zealand the nation can finally say goodbye to the Ghost of San Francisco.

 

 

Other campaign assets are linked by the #RIPGhostofSanFran hashtag.

 

ASB used its social channels through the regatta, to celebrate the win and the return home victory parade.

 

 

 

 

 

and the race itself.

 

 

 

with its #SeaOfSupport

 

 

and ‘Land Lubbers Guide’ activation strands.

 

 

In the campaign’s PR material, ASB general manager marketing Shane Evans says that Team New Zealand’s win in Bermuda is one of the greatest sporting examples of Kiwi ingenuity and spirit.

 

“We all felt the pain four years ago. But in a very real way, it’s that loss that makes the story of this team and their triumph all the more remarkable,” says Evans.

 

“This was no ordinary win. This campaign is not only celebrating the victory, but also a country that wasn’t afraid to get back behind their team, and cheer as they raced the giants of sailing again. It’s a story of innovation and bravery that goes right to the heart of the Kiwi character.”

 

Evans adds that it is appropriate to celebrate Team New Zealand’s win with a smile: “The campaign also speaks to the innovation behind the win – it took guts to put bikes on a boat. Innovation is something we celebrate at ASB, and we wanted to celebrate it here, in this campaign, too.”

 

WiTH Collective chief creative officer Steve Coll adds that the phrase ‘The Ghost of San Francisco’ popped up repeatedly during the America’s Cup racing.

 

“Even the crew referred to it. ASB kept pushing us to get to the heart of what the race meant to Kiwis. And it seemed the ghost was a key part of it,” Coll explains.

 

“The victory came from fearless innovation, thinking differently, taking risks and putting it all on the line. It is one of history’s great sporting comebacks and something that absolutely anyone can appreciate – even the bloke who’s been haunting Kiwis for the last four years.”

 

While Downlow founders Nigel McCullough and Jarrod Holt commented that developing the campaign was almost as intense as watching the races: “But we thought the concept was spot on. It’s been a really great collaboration with Nic and Si from WiTH Collective, and we’re very pleased with the result.”

 

The ASB client was Roger Beaumont (Executive General Manager Marketing and Communications), Shane Evans (General Manager Marketing), Mark Graham (Head of Community, Sponsorship and Events), Bianca Osborne (Brand Manager), Emma-Rose Forrester (Assistant Brand Manager), Sharon Moffatt (Head of Marketing Services), Michael Wood (Production Manager), Jasmine Taggart (Social Media Specialist) and Simone McCallum (Head of Corporate Content & Social Media).

 

While the WiTH Collective team included Steve Coll (CCO), Justin Hind (CEO), Nicole Hetherington (Creative Director), Simon Fowler (Creative Director), Pat Anderson and Will Winter-Irving (Creatives), Iain Todd (Head of Production and Content) and Elle Horton (Senior Account Manager).

 

Plus The Downlow Concept crew was Jarrod Holt (Director), Nigel McCullough (Director), Camilo Spath (Producer), Paddy Compter (Producer), plus editor Philippe Lods, with Online and Grade work by Creature, sound from Liquid Studios and media by Carat New Zealand.

 

Activative Comment:

 

Quite a comprehensive activation from a third tier partner, the brand’s America’s Cup activation ran simultaneously with its major All Blacks sponsorship campaign during the Lions tour.

 

Called ‘It Takes A Country To Make An All Black’, this was a multi-platform initiative which kicked off in May and which spanned TV and video,

 

 

with plenty of digital and social pieces linked with the #ItTakesACountry hashtag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links:

 

ASB

https://www.asb.co.nz

https://www.youtube.com/user/ASBBank

https://facebook.com/ASBBank
https://twitter.com/ASBBank
https://instagram.com/ASBBank
https://linkedin.com/company/asb-bank
https://blog.asb.co.nz

 

WiTH Collective

https://www.withcollective.com/

 

Emirates Team New Zealand

http://emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com/

 

Americas Cup

https://www.americascup.com/



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