Bundaberg Rum turns Drop Bear myth into live NRL Magic Round stunt via HAVAS Red
Bundaberg Rum brought the Drop Bear myth into the real world at NRL Magic Round, launching its new Drop Bear Spicy Pineapple product with a headline stunt via HAVAS Red, that saw Bundy R. Bear skydive from 13,000 feet before arriving live inside Suncorp Stadium to open the weekend.
The cinematic skydive played out across stadium screens before cutting to a live moment, where Bundy R. Bear emerged and joined NRL legend Johnathan ‘JT’ Thurston to deliver the first match ball, signalling the start of Magic Round.
Turning one of Australia’s most recognisable pieces of folklore into a live stadium spectacle, the “Drop In” anchored the launch of Drop Bear Spicy Pineapple within one of the biggest moments on the NRL calendar.
Says Matthew Miles, Head of Marketing – Rum at Diageo: “Magic Round is one of the biggest stages in Australian sport, so launching a new product here meant doing something fans couldn’t ignore. Dropping Bundy R. Bear from 13,000 feet into Suncorp Stadium is exactly the kind of bold, unmistakably Bundy idea that could cut through – bringing the Drop Bear myth into the real world in front of a live crowd.”
Inspired by Australia’s most infamous mythical creature, Drop Bear Spicy Pineapple is designed as a fiery moment-maker, blending tropical pineapple tang with a subtle kick of heat, brought to life through Bundy’s new drinking ritual: “Look up. Drop ’em down.”
The creative was developed by HAVAS Red as a high-impact moment designed to capture attention in stadium and extend beyond it, with the stunt amplified across broadcast, influencer, social and earned media.
Says Laura Cario, Managing Partner at HAVAS Red: “The opportunity was to take the Drop Bear myth and bring it to life for Bundaberg Rum in a way that felt big enough for Magic Round. From there, we focused on building a single, unmissable moment to launch Drop Bear, something that would land in-stadium, and carry it beyond across social, broadcast and earned channels in real time.”
On-ground activity, led by Activation Union, brought the Drop Bear campaign to life across the Magic Round precinct, extending the momentum of the stunt into the broader fan experience. Activity spanned Caxton Street venues, and the stadium surrounds, where Bundy R. Bear engaged with fans through appearances, photo moments and surprise interactions that drove energy and product trial throughout the weekend. These moments were supported by social amplification.
Says Rosie Carter, Managing Partner at Activation Union: “We were pumped after many months of planning and developing this brand to see Drop Bear arrive with a bang to Caxton Street and the surrounding venues for Magic Round 2026. The bold and vibrant drop bear visuals and point of sale inside and outside venues really ‘painted the town Bundy Yellow’ it was great to see the brand everywhere you looked or went into over the Magic Round Weekend. It was particularly exciting to bring the physical Bundy R Bear (Mascot) to life in some of the most iconic venues surrounding Suncorp Stadium for some epic surprise & delight moments, epic photos and selfies with Bundy Bear and more than a few shots of Drop Bear shouted to punters all around Brissy over the weekend!”
Paid support, managed by Hearts & Science, was designed to make Drop Bear unmissable across Magic Round, with a strategy focused on contextual relevance and real-time engagement. Activity spanned outdoor placements around Suncorp Stadium and Caxton Street, alongside targeted digital executions including Uber journey ads and post-checkout placements timed to key match windows. Audio across broadcast and digital brought the Drop Bear personality to life, supported by influencer amplification and an always-on layer across social, YouTube and retail platforms.
Says Declan Peach, Group Business Director, Hearts & Science: “Drop Bear is such a fun, new product for Bundy with a taste to match, so it was exciting to be part of the village that helped launch it in market. With our paid approach, we wanted to make sure that Drop Bear was unmissable over the Magic Round weekend – focusing on highly contextual OOH placements, real-time targeting on digital platforms like Uber to reach audiences in the moment, and audio to really bring a sense of the Drop Bear personality to those NRL/Bundy fans tuning in. It was a really collaborative effort between us, Havas Red & AU/H&Co to ensure we had a consistent message across all paid, owned & earned channels.”
The activity builds on Bundaberg Rum’s long-standing partnership with the NRL, with the brand continuing as the league’s Exclusive Official Dark Spirit. This year’s Magic Round, one of the biggest events on the rugby league calendar, saw 16 teams take the field in front of more than 149,000 fans.
Client: Diageo | Bundaberg Rum
PR and Social Agency: HAVAS Red
Activation Agency: Activation Union
Media Agency: Hearts & Science
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