The Rugby League World Cup 2017 kicks off new ‘Nobodies’ TV spot via Clemenger BBDO, Sydney
The Rugby League World Cup 2017 (RLWC2017) has unveiled its campaign created by Clemenger BBDO Sydney, for this year’s marquee international sporting event.
Stemming from the insight that most Aussies and Kiwis think international rugby league begins and ends with them, the campaign kicks off with a film that seeks to reframe the unknown players of the Rugby League World Cup from easily ignored to must-see threats who have the potential to re- shape the tournament.
Says Ben Clare, creative director, Clemenger BBDO Sydney: “The truth is: every single world class athlete on the planet was, at one time or another, a nobody. The ‘Nobodies’ campaign champions these players who, despite their unrecognisability, have the potential to surprise and upset the historically dominant countries.”
The film features up-and-coming international stars such as Kaysa Pritchard (Samoa) and Casey Clark (USA) alongside NRL superstars in Johnathan Thurston (Australia) and Sam Burgess (England).
Says Clare: “The idea that sport, by its ethos, is democratic, and the world is full of unknowns just one game away from stardom, provides the dramatic crux of this film.”
The Rugby League World Cup 2017 will be the fifteenth staging of the sport’s pinnacle international event. Hosted across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017, participating nations include Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Samoa, Scotland, Tonga, Wales, and the USA.
Says Rohan Sawyer, general manager commercial and marketing, RLWC2017: “The 2017 Rugby League World Cup will be played in 13 cities across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, taking International Rugby League to all corners of the hosting nations. With recent changes in the eligibility rules, the world’s best players are coming, and this will be the most competitive Rugby League World Cup ever – and as such the teams you wouldn’t traditionally expect to be a threat, could surprise you.”
The campaign will kick off during this weekend’s international test matches where seven of the 14 teams participating in RLWC2017 will be in action.
Client: Rugby League World Cup 2017
Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Hill
Chief Operating Officer: Maria Sykes
General Manager Commercial & Marketing: Rohan Sawyer
Marketing Manager: Kate Dalwood
Digital & Social Manager: Sara Piper
Agency: Clemenger BBDO Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Paul Nagy
Managing Director: Emily Perrett
Creative Director: Ben Clare
Planning Director: Rob Dougan
Creatives: Willy Maitland, Zander Williment, Dan White, Simon Gibson
Senior Producer: Steve Tindall, Kirstin Lees
Senior Account Director: Smaran Jworchan
Account Coordinator: Alicia Zerella
Senior Sound Engineer: Anthony Tiernan
Editor: Alex Guterres, Jess Morgan
Production Company: Buddy Films
Director: Harry Sanna
Executive Producer: Sue Walker
DOP: Jordan Maddocks
8 Comments
Finally, some decent work for the NRL.
Nice one!
Maybe because Archibald Williams and VML were not involved….
Oh come on! This is terrible. The game deserves better than this. The problem will be getting people to the stadiums to watch. This simply won’t.
Sick of seeing teams training hard in ads followed by trick shots shared on mobile. So boring. Saw enough of it again for the Olympics!
You say “the worlds best are coming” but not before telling me they are nobodies! So are they nobodies or the worlds best? Or …. The world’s best nobodies?
I’m a big league fan and this left me feeling empty just like the stadiums will be.
No I don’t work at VML or AW. I dislike their work in the NRL too.
Clems I hope you didn’t get paid to develop and present this concept to Foxtel back in 2015 for the RWC and now charge RLWC to develop it again this time around.
There’s probabaly a reason Foxtel didnt go with it……
Lazy, lazy, lazy…..
I see a re edit coming.Think that might be naughty Kiwi cocaine snorting RL captain doing the Haka.
Why are there so many stars in this ad about “Nobodies”?
Theres an interesting idea somewhere in there.