Australian Professional Leagues appoints R/GA as lead agency to help unleash the potential of Football in Australia
Following a competitive pitch, Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has appointed R/GA Australia as its lead agency partner.
APL, formed in 2021, is responsible for the operation, commercialisation and marketing of professional football in Australia, including the A-League, W-League, Y-League and e-League. R/GA will work closely with APL to help them realise their fan engagement and growth ambitions as they set their sights on re-energising the Australian game.
Says Michael Titshall, VP and managing director, R/GA Australia: “We are thrilled to be working with APL. They have the most exciting sports product in the country with unlimited potential. We can’t wait to help them realise that potential by re-inventing the professional football brand and experience in Australia.”
After conducting a thorough tender process, involving agencies in both Australia and the UK, Rob Nolan, director marketing and data, APL: “We have an ambitious vision, and R/GA are the perfect partner to help us realise it. Football in Australia has unbelievable potential, and we need the right people on the journey to unleash that potential and deliver the future the game deserves.”
Says Ben Miles, ECD, brand design and consulting, R/GA APAC: “From the outset it was clear that APL had big ambitions for the future. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them as they look to innovate by bringing together brand, experience, technology and marketing. We’re ready to push go and reimagine football in Australia.”
APL joins a roster of R/GA Australia clients, which includes Australian Ethical, Google, Uber, Nike, Kimberly-Clark, Toyota, Slack, among others.
7 Comments
Lots of big agencies went in for this one, must have been something special from R/GA to take that one..
How do you reimagine football? Change the shape of the ball? Pick it up and run with it? But then is it football?
Easy. What do Come on Aussie, Up there Cazaly and Simply the Best have in common for re launching and re branding an Australian sporting product to sear it into the minds of everyone?? A no brainer really.
Putting it on a platform a decent amount of people can actually watch it would be a good start. As a fan I’ve been amazed at how anonymous A League has become this year. You’d hardly know it was on – the FFA marketing dept make the Rugby Australia marketing pigeon look good.
I’d rather the cash went on a genuinely exciting marque player than another agency making a low rent Nike TVC. It’s going to need more than a catchy jingle and a montage of ethnically diverse players having a kick.
Best of luck, R/GA, you’re going to need it.
Agreed. The A-League’s problems run a lot deeper than advertising.
Get the A-League on free to air TV.
Get the fixtures back to summer – winter competitions competes directly with grass roots football.
How are the advocates supposed to play, coach referee and still take in an A-League game?
Remember this is a sport unlike others, the vast majority of ‘customers’ actually PLAY the game (unlike Thugby (posh or otherwise) and Aerial Basketball). And can whoever is involved in this actually go to the pub with the RBB and understand the passion involved.
Good luck dealing with the FA.