Aussie Rules Football Club Hawthorn Hawks, which is based in Mulgrave (Victoria), teamed up with video production company Visual Domain to create an interactive video series called ‘Welcome Back To The ‘G’ to encourage fans to return to the stands and support their club in person again as pandemic restrictions eased and the sport opened up again.
This ticket sales promotion is led by a set of films which feature Hawks stars Jack Gunston, James Worpel and club icon David Parkin. The spots blend nostalgic footy moments with scenes showcasing Melbourne’s thriving footy-culture (including pre-game AFL rituals) as fans march together back to the club’s stadium and ‘home of footy’ the MCG.
Plus, as an added benefit, viewers are able to interact with the video – thus enabling them to ‘customise their footy-day adventure’.
The season ticket drive is led by a hero three-minute video aimed to entice supporters to become club members again and to get them back into the stands instead of watching games from home.
The hero spot and supporting films are hosted in the membership section of the team’s main web platform where fans are encouraged to:
“Remember that feeling of waking up on game day?
The excitement of heading to the ‘G to watch the mighty Hawks.
Being surrounded by a sea of brown and gold.
The sound of the siren, the cheers in the crowd.
That feeling of being part of a family, the Hawthorn family.
We’re so excited to be welcoming YOU, our members, back to the MCG for our season opener against the Roos.
Let’s get ready for Sunday – choose your own game day adventure as a reminder of what we’ve missed out on!
Let’s fill those stands with brown and gold – we can’t wait to see you there!”
Click on the link to view the spots.
The campaign was created for the Hawks by a team at production company Visual Domain with Director Dave Mallen, Producer Al Currie, Director of Photography Sean Kirkwood and Editors Sabine Battel and Indi Christy.
“We wanted to create really engaging, emotive and interactive content that would resonate with our Melbourne-based members and fans,” explained Hawthorn Football Club General Manager Jeremy Millard. “Our members in particular have been extremely resilient over the past two seasons with major disruptions to the football season. This campaign is a fantastic reminder of the unforgettable experience watching a Hawks game live at the ‘G can be, and just how important we value crowds at our games!”
Visual Domain Director Dave Mallen added: “Being a Melbourne-based company, our team felt extremely passionate about this project! Like most Melburnians we’ve grown up with footy at the centre of our culture, so we felt really passionate about getting the Hawks back on track for a successful 2022 season.”
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This is just one of many sports initiatives around the world in which clubs are seeking to reverse declining attendances after Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns.
The Hawks worked on the project with Visual Domain – Australia’s largest video production company which focuses on enabling brands and organisations to uniquely customise their video content with the inclusion of interactive elements including call-to-action buttons, custom pop-ups, and stoppable videos.
The idea is that if viewers are able to participate in the viewing process, to choose their own journeys and paths and watch only what interests them, engagement rates are higher.
“We’ve seen how effective interactivity in video content can be – putting consumers in the driver’s seat, enabling them to control their own video experience. It’s also a great way to gain insight into consumer behaviours and how they view and digest content,” explained Visual Domain Founder Renece Brewster.
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