Hyundai Motor Company Australia, a top tier partner of the Football Federation Australia, is leveraging its rights around Russia 2018 with an emotional ‘Letters’ campaign that sees Socceroos stars pen missives to those who have helped them.
The connect was created to give Socceroos players a chance to put pen to paper and thank the mentors and supporters most instrumental in their journey from the Hyundai A-League to the world stage as the Socceroos walk out for the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The campaign, which lives on Hyundai’s website (https://www.hyundai.com.au/why-hyundai/sponsorships/football/caltex-socceroos) is led by 30-second spots running across network TV and on digital channels such as Optus Sport and SBS in Australia, as well as being amplified across the brands digital and social channels.
Developed with sponsorship agency Octagon and production company Milkmoney, the ‘Letters’ video series includes letters from Australian internationals in the Russia 2018 squad Josh Risdon, Mark Milligan, Robbie Kruse and Andrew Nabbout.
In addition to an edited film featuring thank you letters from four players,
In the lead up to the #WorldCup, we delivered thank you letters from the @Socceroos made in the Hyundai @ALeague to mentors that helped them on their journey to the worlds stage.
See all 4 stories here from Kruse, Risdon, @andrewnabbout & @mmills05#GoSocceroos #ThankYou pic.twitter.com/3Jrs2EoDs5
— Hyundai Australia (@HyundaiAus) June 14, 2018
the campaign includes individual videos of each mentor letter too.
These include Mark Milligan’s letter to his grandfather,
Josh Risdon’s letter to former Perth Glory manager Kenny Lowe,
Robbie Kruse’s letter to family friend Alan Marley,
and Andrew Nabbout’s letter to Archie Thompson.
The latest and last instalment of the Socceroos ‘Letters’ series, released ahead of the team’s World Cup game against Denmark, sees captain Mile Jedinak write an emotional thank you to an aunt who inspired his journey through her consistent support and presence.
The spot’s structures follows the same pattern: opening with the player settling down to write and then switching to the receiver, Jedinak’s aunt, who is shocked and honoured to be the subject of the Socceroos captains’ thanks.
Fans can also check out the campaign’s digital web hub here – https://www.hyundai.com.au/why-hyundai/sponsorships/football/caltex-socceroos
The recently retired Australian football icon Archie Thompson, who himself received a letter from first time Socceroo Andrew Nabbout, says it is important for fans and upcoming players to see the real-life inspiration behind their favourite players.
“I’ve been humbled to be recognised in Andrew’s letter. Despite being close to the boys through the system, I just wasn’t expecting to be called out as someone that made that sort of impact,” says Thompson.
“It’s an amazing feeling and a reminder that these players are where they are not just because they’re talented, but also because they’ve had the support of family members and mentors who believe in them. These letters are a great way for fans to get a glimpse into the real lives of these talented players and see the people who have been there cheering them on all the way.”
Octagon’s agency account team is lead by Simon Hearn, the director and creative on the campaign was Ethan Mclean, it was produced by Emma Whitehouse and edited by Josh Palmer.
Comment:
The initiative aims to target core, elite football fans by offering an authentic, seldom seen side of player personalities.
We’ve seen the ‘Letters’ idea used before in sports marketing, such as in New Balance’s ‘Letter To My Future Self’ campaign in 2017 (see case study), but this Wo0rld Cup work is none the worse for that.
It follows-on from Hyundai’s earlier, parallel activation strand leveraging Russia 2018 called ‘Have a Fling with Football’ (see case study) and together they seeks to recruit Australian bandwagon football fans who typically tune in every four years when the FIFA World Cup comes around.
Also, an additional activation strand, called ‘Made in the Hyundai A-League’, running during the World Cup qualifiers in 2017, saw Hyundai Australia roll out a series of episodes celebrating the players who have played in the Hyundai A-League and gone to play in the Socceroos.
This seems like a concerted, focused effort by the automotive brand to make the most of both its national team partnership and its status as an official FIFA World Cup partner to help grow the game in Australia.
The strategy emerged after research showed that 22% of Australian’s who do not consider themselves football fans will tune in to watch the World Cup.
Thus is a major opportunity for brands with relevant football rights, like Hyundai, to make them feel welcome and begin a conversation that could continue long after the tournament finishes and continue through to next season’s domestic Hyundai A-league.
After all, of the 23 players in the Russian 2018 Socceroos squad, 18 have played in the Hyundai A-League in Australia.
This is essentially a three-pronged approach from the Hyundai marketing team (led by marketing director Oliver Mann, sponsorship lead David Parsons and sponsorship executive Alex Aylmer) to get more supporters to support the national team in Russia and to get more fans into the stadiums for the 2017/18 season of the Hyundai A-League – which starts in October.
David Parsons, sponsorship lead at Hyundai, said: “Hyundai is hugely proud of our relationship not just with the A-League, but of both our national teams – the Caltex Socceroos and Westfield Matilda’s. As the Hyundai A-League has matured over the years, we’re delighted to see it become a legitimate breeding ground for Socceroos to play on the biggest stage of them all, the FIFA World Cup.”
Links:
Hyundai Australia
https://www.youtube.com/user/ChannelHyundai
https://www.facebook.com/HyundaiAustralia
https://twitter.com/hyundaiaus
https://www.instagram.com/hyundaiaus/?ref=badge
Octagon
http://www.octagon.com/australia
Milkmoney Australia
Football Federation Australia
