Westpac celebrates a beautiful partnership for Origin in new campaign via DDB Sydney

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A rousing musical number starring a banker and a referee aired during last night’s first State of Origin game. The commercial celebrates the recent partnership between Westpac and the National Rugby League (NRL) created by DDB Sydney.

 

Directed by Revolver’s Matt Devine, the feelings of these two much-maligned professional figures come to life. Through their shared anguish, the banker and referee find both solace and strength, proving the partnership between Westpac and the NRL is a beautiful one.

Says Annabel Fribence, chief brand and marketing officer, Westpac: “At Westpac, we are extremely proud of our sponsorship of the NRL and NRL Women’s (NRLW) competitions. We know nobody really wants to think about banking during the footy, instead we wanted to be adding to the positive moments of the sport.

“So we set ourselves the impossible goal of being as entertaining as the game, at least for the length of an ad. There’s nothing more Australian than being able to take the mickey out of yourself. As Australia’s oldest bank, it just felt right.”

Says Matt Chandler, executive creative director, DDB Sydney: “An epic slice of musical theatre was really the only way to do justice to the coming together of Westpac and the NRL. The plight of these two characters was a joy to bring to life for all of us, so we’re very excited for their story to be told on one of the biggest nights of the rugby league calendar.”

Westpac is the official banking partner of the NRL and provides equal financial support across both the men’s and women’s competitions, with a committed dollar-for-dollar investment.

The partnership extends to all levels of the game, providing junior pathways for emerging women through the RISE Rookie Academy and support for regional communities with the Roads to Regions program and Community Awards.

Client: Westpac

Agency: DDB Sydney
National Chief Creative Officer: Stephen de Wolf
Executive Creative Director: Matt Chandler
Creative Partner: Dan Bolton
Senior Creative: Henry Kember
Copywriter: Hannah Lawson
Art Director: Kate Idle
Managing Partner: Sasha Firth
Group Business Director: Siobhan Kelly
Senior Business Manager: Manon-Debus-Pesquet
Chief Strategy Officer: Fran Clayton
Head of Brand Performance: Michael Sinclair
Senior Strategist: Tom Witcombe
Group Head of Delivery: Adrian Jung
Senior Producer: Liz Nunan
Operations Director: Tim Lunken

Production Company: Revolver
Director: Matt Devine
Managing Director/Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer/Partner: Pip Smart
Senior Producer: Serena Paull
Director of Photography: Jeremy Rouse
Production Designer: Enzo Iacono
Costumer: Sophie Fletcher

Post-Production: ARC EDIT
Editor: Dan Lee
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
Online: Eugene Richards
Producer: Jess Ryan

Casting: Danny Long Casting

Music Composition/Publishing: Soundtree Music Publishing Limited
Music Title: We’re Only Human
Composed by Joel Hartman
Soundtree Senior Producer: Neil Athale

Audio Post: Rumble Studios