Rugby World Cup puts The Feelers out
The launch presentation for the ‘first phase’ of the Rugby World Cup has been given, the phrase once in a life-time was used way too often and the rumours were true: The Feelers will be the voice (and, judging by the falsetto in the Jesus Jones song Right Here, Right Now, not a particularly good one) of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The main message of the campaign is ‘You Gotta Be There’. And it’s mostly focused on New Zealanders (with the ability to farm the content out internationally through existing networks) because, with over one million tickets to sell and research from past events showing around 70 percent of tickets are purchased domestically, it’s imperative that Kiwis come out in droves to make the event a success.
RWC 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden drew a bit of a long, slightly cheesy bow trying to link the Jesus Jones/Feelers song with the event, saying the song was about a moment in history (the end of the Cold War) and it had worldwide significance; how it was about seizing the moment and making something an incredible success. Hey, just like the Rugby World Cup!
“I think it’s a song people will be singing from the terraces, from the embankments and even from the stands,” he said. Some, however, will presumably be groaning and, with our relatively new-found musical patriotism, wondering what was wrong with a New Zealand song.
Stangely, StopPress finds itself experiencing the feeling of spine-tingling excitement at the site of this fairly bland effort (let’s be honest, everyone’s already gagging for it) and being sick in our own mouth because, well, it’s The Feelers. It’s a weird juxtaposition, but, personal preference aside, the ad ticks all the traditional big event boxes and includes slow motion emotion, excited spectators, fireworks, stunning athleticism, bloodied bandages, big hits and, of course, a few war dances, so it should appeal to rugby lovers, the majority of whom are probably floating down the mainstream. In case you were wondering where all the Lord of the Rings scenery got to, this campaign is just to sell tickets to the event. The tourism push is still to come.
Snedden also showed a few of the 15 second ‘reminder’ ads featuring Jonah Lomu, Valerie Vili and Jeremy Wells (“avoid a lifetime of bitter regret,” Wells implores the viewers). Susan Devoy also features, Daniel Vettori’s ad was recorded last week and TVNZ weatherman Tamati Coffey is also booked in for a recording shortly. A few ‘ordinary’ people were even filmed to cover all the bases.
Shane Harmon, general manager of marketing and communications for RWC 2011, says “no cash payment was made to any of the celebs”. And, as for The Feelers: “Can’t give dollars but can say that The Feelers were very good and very reasonable to deal with and saw the opportunity of being involved in RWC as much bigger than being purely involved in our ad.”
“We briefed Clems that it had to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It had to be seen as a celebration. The message is to be part of it you had to part of it you had to go and be part of the game.”
Harmon, who has been in the role for nearly two years, says Clemenger were signed up in October and the eight-week campaign is “TV-driven for certain”. But the 60-second TVC is backed up by plenty of print (full page ads will be appearing in all the major papers tomorrow), radio, outdoor, online and a continued social media push (check out the World’s Biggest Scrum Facebook application).
There will also be a big mailout, with the ticketing information due to be sent to every household in New Zealand (1.3 million to be exact) in the second week of April and a personalised direct mailout sent to all NZRU members. He wouldn’t comment on the marketing budget allocated to the first phase.
Harmon says the first four weeks of the campaign are to raise awareness as to the availability of the tickets and how people can go about getting them (‘where can we get tickets?’ has been the most commonly asked question so far, Snedden says) and the following four weeks will be the retail campaign aimed at selling those tickets (the majority are signed up for in the last two weeks of availability, he says)
“That’s very much the countdown period,” he says. Then, depending how the initial campaign has gone, he says the next marketing push, to sell the individual tickets, will kick off.
While Heineken, Emirates and Mastercard (which released a special Rugby World Cup card in conjunction with ANZ today) are major sponsors, Harmon says the “green shoots” have meant there are far more commercial interest in the RWC this year.
“The IRB are speaking with a number of companies at the moment and they’re optimistic.”
For those worrying about the cost (the organisers freely admit the big games are expensive in Kiwi terms, but have offered plenty of cheap tickets to some of the other games), Harmon says RWC 2011 will be the first one offering a payment plan, which will allow Kiwis to pay off the tickets, whether a Team Pack or a Venue Pack, in installments.
Browny
March 30, 2010
Wasted chance.Just watching it now on One. Lame.
gav
March 30, 2010
f*ck me. how dull. i can only hope that it's trying to be a bit ironic – if we make a truly 1987 ad, maybe we can repeat the 1987 victory. i'm stunned. everyone involved should be put out to pasture, including the client who accepted this no idea, no style, no excitement piece of averageness. this sort of shit sets the NZ ad/marketing industry back decades. i can hear waldo from way down here on the coast…
J-Rex
March 31, 2010
Why even engage an agency? The TV stations cut stuff like this together every day. Do a better job of it too. What a shame. While on the subject, who else is determined to leave Auckland before 2011?
courtney lambert @cjlambert
March 31, 2010
Lame is right. All this crap about showcasing NZ to the world and they use a pongo song that has been used for buckets of other songs. Just because rugby supporters may be conservative doesn't mean you can't be clever and use a unique opportunity to support local musicians. Shocker+
courtney lambert @cjlambert
March 31, 2010
..I mean campaigns..can't type. Check out the wiki link for the vintage pongo track
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_Here,_Right_Now_(Jesus_Jones_song)
mw
March 31, 2010
I am behind Gary McCormack and his campaign to scrap the Feelers and use Dave Dobyn's Loyal instead.
As someone very eloqently put it on Twitter: The Feelers for the RWC anthem is like Nickleback opening the Superbowl.
Other than the music, my concern is sending out ticketing information to all households in NZ. That's a joke right? I know that there is a theory that all NZers enjoy the rugby, but that's not entirely true. Seems like a waste of good money which could have been spent paying a decent band/artist to write an original song that we could be proud of.
Mike
March 31, 2010
This work is rubbish, doesn't look like an agency has been involved. If an agency did this, they must have come in from the pasture to work on it.Tag line must have been developed by the client. But the only part of the debate that horrifies me is that people want 'Loyal'. This song is of no relevance to the nz public or visiting fans.
Jimmy James
March 31, 2010
This campaign makes me feel funny in my pants…. right here, right now.
Dr Gonzo
March 31, 2010
I love this wonderful campaign and I can't enough of that great song. Love it to pieces. Not.
Danielle Joan
March 31, 2010
I think I just vomited in my mouth.
Billy Graham
March 31, 2010
True story – I was on a hot date with Sally Smith from #34, and we were enjoying a nice night with the lights down low, watching a nice romantic movie on my couch.
When all of a sudden this enchanting 90's anthem hit my TV screen, illuminating the room with it's rambunctious harmony, wailing guitar riffs and audacious originality. I was gripped, a captive under it's spell, naturally I instantly ejaculated in my already tightening pants. Thanks NZRFU for the most embarrassing night of my life.
Nah, but seriously: As part of the integrated campaign for this flashback to the Nineties ectasy, will they be giving away rollerblades, hyper colour tshirts and copies of Street Fighter 2 on the Sega Mega Drive?
Billy Graham
March 31, 2010
Cowabunga dude!
Sally from #34
March 31, 2010
Thanks a lot NZRFU. Not only did you ruin my bodacious night with that hunk Billy you also ruined his favourite pants.
He was going to give those pants to his first born son and now they're destined for the rubbish bin.
#33
April 1, 2010
Is that what that wierd noise was? I thought my cat was getting one over!!
Seriously though…I just hope the NZRFU are not briefing Graham Henry in 2011. Our AB's will lack a 6-pack!
Earlyboyd
April 6, 2010
Why must mainstream be so vanilla. 'You gotta be there' – come on – looks and sounds like the generic conclusion of good old kiwi stakeholder consensus to me.
Well done
April 6, 2010
This is certainly a case of the agency nailing the brief – old anthem song covered by a pub band from NZ to engage an audience that are old, prefer anthem songs and are regularly found in pubs.
mike wc
April 6, 2010
Could have done flasher graphics on a home PC … did they pay for this? I hope not!
Janette W
April 6, 2010
If NZ Rugby want New Zealanders to get behind their campaign why did they insist on a song that tells a story about moment in history that has nothing to do with NZ?
What a waste of an incredible opportunity to write a brilliant song that represents NZ and it's many strengths.
And NZRFU wonder why so many people are turning their backs on Rugger…
Signed – Soccer Mom
peter mac
April 6, 2010
I did a mashup of the RWC ad with Poi-e instead of the feelers, have a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyjZYJFB9ts
Su Yin Khoo
April 6, 2010
That's genius, Peter Mac!
Lauren Edwards
April 6, 2010
Where is the engagement? RWC 2011 only has one revenue stream available – selling tickets (the big bucks go to IRB – sponsors, merchandise TV rights…). So why waste budget on mass marketing to rugby fans – they just need to know when to turn up and how much to pay. RWC need to hook the executive sheilas, wine swilling baby boomers and excitable families with a clear message – Your country, Your Cup (cause it won't be coming back).
It's a huge shame the chance to inspire Kiwi's to love the nation and the nations game has been missed.
Ohh, and Sauce did me an in-house 7's video a few years back that looks like Oscar winning material compared to this.
Max
April 9, 2010
"You gotta be there!"? and an (unsurprisingly) uninspired cover of a twenty year old one-off pop hit – this is what we get to kick off a major event and $200M+ in public money?
Clemengers can do better – I can only presume that their idiot clients are the problem. Pathetic, utterly utterly pathetic – and no surprises if this bunch of chowderheads:
(i) lose us all a lot of money;
(ii) embarrass us worldwide; and
(iii) prove such a distraction that the ABs lose, again.
StampTramp
April 12, 2010
Once you sift through the corn and carrots of this heaving pile of vomit the rotton cherry in the mix has to be Clarlos Spencer showing the world his arse as he gives birth to a rugby ball…Stop the maddness cut the TVC you making me want to add to New Zealands number one cause of death…but it should be Clemenger that is strung up by the boot laces. you sick barstar##*s