NZRU Partner ASB Gifts Eden Park Naming Rights For Bledisloe Test To Kaikōura Fish & Chip Shop

New Zealand Rugby Union sponsor ASB Bank extended its ‘Borrow The All Blacks’ SME support campaign to its recently signed stadium naming rights deal and then promptly gave away its rights package for the 18 October Bledisloe Cup game against Australia to a fish and chip shop in Kaikōura.

The initiative, created by WiTH Collective, gives one lucky ASB small business customer a chance to ‘Borrow Eden Park’ for the second Bledisloe Cup test match and the first giveaway sees the iconic Auckland stadium renamed Coopers Catch Park.

Following last week’s deal which saw ASB secure weeklong naming rights to the ground, which most thought would see the Garden Of Eden renamed after a commercial brand for the first time in 117 years.

But, instead of it being called ASB Park, ASB has gifted its ground title sponsor rights to a small, family-owned Kiwi business in need of some support due to the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thus, for the whole week leading up to the crucial game against fierce rivals Australia (after the previous week’s first test ended in a 16-16 draw) and on matchday itself the famous stadium will be officially named after a Kaikōura family-owned fish and chip shop Coopers Catch.

ASB_Borrow_Eden_Park_16x9 from WiTH Collective on Vimeo.

Coopers Catch’s owners, Jason and Natasja Hill, are avid rugby fans and were surprised when ASB Executive General Manager of Business Banking Tim Deane dropped by unexpectedly to give them the news.

“It’s beyond any dream my wife Natasja and I had for our business. We’re so grateful to ASB for backing us in what’s been a really tough time, particularly for a town like Kaikōura that has been so dependent on tourism,” said Jason Hill. “We love our rugby and it’s an absolute honour to become part of New Zealand rugby history as the first business to borrow naming rights to Eden Park.”

ASB General Manager Brand and Marketing Shane Evans added: “Small businesses are the backbone of the New Zealand economy and supporting small business customers in innovative ways has been a priority for ASB this year. This has been a year like no other, and at ASB we knew our support for businesses had to go beyond anything we’ve done before. It’s about being innovative and having the courage to be bold and give new ideas a go. It’s during challenging times we can have the most impact by taking a chance and trying new things. For us, it was centred around responding to our customers who told us they needed help beyond the financial. That’s why in July, we launched the ASB Business Hub, an online resource full of tips and tricks to help small businesses navigate the economic impacts of COVID-19. We also announced our Borrow the All Blacks campaign, dedicating our largest sponsorship asset, the All Blacks, Black Ferns and Māori All Blacks, to promote small New Zealand businesses.

“‘The Borrow The All Blacks’ campaign has been a massive success so far and with 38 out of the 100 ads live we are excited to take the campaign to the next level with the ‘Borrow Eden Park’ idea,” explained WiTH Collective (at denstu) General Manager John Marshall. “Giving away naming rights to one of the most iconic rugby stadiums in the world is huge. We hope the coverage helps Jason and Natasja’s business down in Kaikōura and proves once again ASB’s commitment to small business here in New Zealand.”

While WiTH Creative Directors Jack Delmonte and Hadleigh Sinclair added: “We’re stoked to be rolling out a campaign that’s making a real difference to small businesses. The reception from business owners to the Borrow The All Blacks initiative has been unreal. We’ve both got fond memories of smashing hot dogs on terraces at NPC and All Blacks games, and we can’t wait for fans to watch the All Blacks take on the Aussies at Coopers Catch Park, and the flow-on effects for the town of Kaikōura, and other small businesses around New Zealand.”

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