A new National Australia Bank (NAB) commercial spearheads the next stage of the AFL sponsor’s Mini Legends campaign as the league partner drafts the next generation of ‘NAB Mini Legends’.
The campaign, developed in harness with creative agency Clemenger BBDO (Melbourne), is the culmination of the now completed ‘2017 NAB Mini Legends Draft’ – which saw around 550 of Australia’s best sports star look-a-likes compete for a place on the bank’s mini AFL squad.
The initiative began back in early summer with a public call-out for children to start in this year’s campaign.
Parents were simply asked to submit a video audition of their kids ‘emulating their favourite footy player’.
The lucky winners now front the next phase of the campaign and include a mini Dustin Martin, mini Moana Hope, mini Nic Naitanui, and mini Eddie Betts.
They all star in the hero launch TV commercial (which rolled out on 17 August),
and across print, digital and social channels (both on the brand’s platforms,
Introducing the new NAB Mini Legends. pic.twitter.com/6mbxjZcjwS
— NAB (@NAB) August 18, 2017
and across the AFL’s own channels).
The thinking behind the NAB Mini Legends programme is driven by the bank’s commitment to support all levels of the AFL – from grassroots to professionals – spanning the kids, players and fans of AFL and the AFLW.
It also dovetails with the sponsors support every weekend at NAB AFL Auskick centres throughout Australia.
“Following the success of last year’s campaign, we’re very excited to bring it back with a few new twists,” comments NAB general manager of brand experience Michael Nearhos.
NAB chief marketing officer, Andrew Knott, also says he’s excited to see the second round of NAB Mini Legends come to life.
“We’re excited to be launching our next NAB Mini Legends campaign that captures NAB’s support of footy at all levels. Through our partnership, we back kids as they play their first game of Auskick right through to the big time, whether that be in the AFL or the AFLW.”
Clemenger BBDO Melbourne creative director Rich Williams added that the level of Mini Legends interest has been fantastic: “The response was incredible. The campaign really brings to life everything that’s great about the game. We hope to continue to inspire the next generation of AFL and AFLW stars through this activity.”
Williams was on the Clemenger BBDO team working for NAB’s Knott, Nearhos, head of group brand Faycal Ben Abdellaziz and brand & sponsorship communications manager Sue Brailsford, that included chief creative officer Ant Keogh, creative chairman James McGrath, fellow creative directors Ant Phillips, Luke Thompson and Rohan Lancaster, plus planners Sam Mackisack and Ryan Smith, producers Sonia von Bibra, Jess van Roosendaal, Michael Travers, Ella Huang, head of CRM Gayle While, as well as group account director Ben Knighton, account director Freya Page, project director Atlanta Panton, account manager Joel Morgan and project manager Tania Babiolakis.
Production was handled by Revolver, the director was Stephen Carroll, the producer Tobias Webster and the executive producer Pip Smart, plus DOP/cinematographer Stefan Duscio.
Post production was by The Butchery & The Refinery, music production Level Two Music and sound by Flagstaff.
Comment:
NAB has been a partner of the AFL since back in 2002 and it has sponsored Auskick since 2006.
NAB also sponsors NAB AFL Academy and NAB AFL Rising Star and earlier in 2017 NAB became the naming rights sponsor for the NAB AFL Women’s competition.
This campaign follows in the footsteps of last year’s matching NAB Mini Legends initiative – which included a Grand Final stage (see previous case study).
It is part of a world-wide wave of mini-me marketing, as sponsors run activation focusing on how kids are inspired by dreams of being just like their heroes and becoming the next big star.
Other notable Mini Me marketing initiatives range from ‘Mini Team Sky’ (see case study), and Medibank’s ‘We Play’ for the ASustralian Open (see case study), to golf’s European Tour ‘Little Interviews’ (see case study) and Aldi’s ‘Kids Rugby Panel’ (see case study).
Links:
NAB
https://www.youtube.com/user/nab
AFL
http://australianfootballleague.tumblr.com/
https://www.instagram.com/AFL/
Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
