In the first week of March, the National Rugby League (NRL) launched its bold, new ‘Unreal’ creative platform across its whole business ahead of the 10 March start of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership season.
‘Unreal’, which is the first full campaign from Aussie independent creative agency Emotive since it won the NRL account after a competitive pitch in October 2021, marks a major shift in approach for NRL and sees it move away from separate event and product-led campaigns in favour of unifying the game under a singular long-term creative platform.
The campaign aims to tap into the NRL’s authenticity – which the property owner believes sets it apart from other sports – and thus focuses on grit, determination and drama, as well as skill, and heart which make it ‘So Real, It’s Unreal’.
The initial burst of work spans television and a Channel 9 broadcast integration backed by OOH and digital, social, merchandise and experiential.
The new league creative platform was introduced through a hero ‘It’s all the real that makes Rugby League so Unreal’ launch film produced in collaboration with Airbag and directed by Ariel Martin.
Dropping on 3 March, the film opens on NRL game footage with commentary by Ray Warren, before rewinding backwards and taking the viewer on a journey through some of the ‘real stuff that goes into making rugby league so Unreal’.
Following the central launch marketing burst, ‘Unreal’ will roll out across the business with linked campaigns for the 2022 Premiership, grassroots Club Rugby League, All Stars, NRLW, Magic Round, State of Origin, Women’s State of Origin and the Finals Series.
“Unreal is a bold step forward for the NRL brand. An all-encompassing platform idea born from all the real that makes Rugby League the most entertaining and connected sport in Australia,” explained NRL General Manager Of Marketing Corina Black. “By bringing together the best of what’s on offer across our incredible portfolio of events and grass roots programs this platform helps us to connect with core fans and attract new audiences to our community so they can experience all the real that makes NRL so Unreal.”
Emotive Managing Partner and Head of Strategy Michael Hogg added: “Some things are meant to be, like the Bunnies winning the Grand Final in 2014 for the first time in 43 years, or ‘UNREAL’ being the creative platform for NRL. Not only does it conveniently have the brand name in it – how often does that happen? …but more importantly, it captures the very essence of what makes NRL distinct as a game and as an entertainment property. And as such, has a chance to help unite the game and to be enduring.”
Emotive CEO Simon Joyce continued: “I’ve always loved the NRL. It’s a sport where you experience every possible emotion week in week out, and we feel incredibly privileged to be working with the team at the NRL. And we couldn’t be prouder of the masterbrand launch work. The platform allows us to simply showcase all that’s unpredictable, gritty, and real about the game, on and off the field. Everything that makes NRL so Unreal.”
The campaign was created for and briefed by an NRL client team led by Chief Customer and Digital Officer Alexi Baker, General Manager Marketing and Brand Corina Black and Head of Campaign & Digital Marketing Courtney Alderson.
The team at creative agency Emotive was led by Founder & CEO Simon Joyce, Head of Strategy & Managing Michael Hogg, Business Director Ciaran Miller-Stubbs, Creative Director Ben Sampson, Copywriter Pierce Thomson, Head of Production Hayley-Ritz Pelling and Senior Producer Savannah Anseline.
The production company was AIRBAG with Director Ariel Martin, Executive Producer: Alex Tizzard, Producer Megan Ayers, Line Producer Fiona Pakes, DOP Jules O’Loughlin, Post-Producer Nick Venn, Offline Editor Mark Bennett and Grade Matt Fezz.
Online Edit was handled by White Chocolate, music and sound by Otis Studios and casting by Stevie Ray.
Comment
The 2022 NRL season, which runs from 10 March through to 2 October, is Australia’s 115th season of professional rugby league and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League.
This latest wave of new season work follows on from 2021’s ‘Defy Impossible’ campaign, as well as 2020’s NRL new season campaign ‘Simply The Best’ and 2019’s ‘A New Era Begins’.
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