IT'S YOUR CALL

TitleIT'S YOUR CALL
Brand3AW
Product / ServiceSPORTS RADIO
CategoryA02. Use of Audio Platforms
EntrantWHYBIN\TBWA GROUP MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company WHYBIN\TBWA GROUP MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Advertising Agency WHYBIN\TBWA GROUP MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Scott Whybin Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Chief Creative Officer
Paul Reardon Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Executive Creative Director
Damian Royce Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Creative Director
Matt Stoddart Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Art Director
Mark Jones Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Art Director
Pat Sofra Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Art Director
Ashwin Gopal Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Copywriter
Rob Hibbert Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Copywriter
Jim Taylor Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Copywriter
Matt Chiodo Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Account Director
Jo Hardy Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Account Director
Fiona Bradshaw Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Account Executive
Paul Arena Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Digital Strategic Planner
Dave Keating Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Head of Digital Production
Ray Jeremiah Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Designer
Lucy Kavanagh Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Digital Producer
Kim Vincent Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Print Production
Stephanie Leddin Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne TV Producer
Tom Lock Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Editor
Tabata Piccinelli Whybin/TBWA Group Melbourne Editor

Brief Explanation

3AW Football Radio was steadily losing its audience. Once loyal listeners were now following the game Live on their smartphones. And worse still, on rival radio stations. We didn’t just need to win back listeners, but also their loyalty. Our solution needed to establish a bond between football fans and the 3AW commentary team. Vivid, off-the-wall radio commentary has always been a hallmark of Australian Rules Football. With ‘It’s your call’, we reminded football fans that radio commentary could be more colourful than any screen. Using the 3AW Facebook page, we gave fans the chance to create Live game commentary.

Results and Effectiveness

Footy fans were all over it “like seagulls around a potato cake”. Daily engagement on 3AW Facebook page increased 140% and average daily reach increased 280% (Source- Facebook Insights). We turned participants into listeners, gaining 72,000 unique listeners during the football season. 3AW Football went from 3rd and slipping, to Australia’s number 1 rated sports radio station (Source- GfK Group).

Creative Execution

Using the 3AW Facebook page, we gave fans the opportunity to create and submit their own hilarious football commentary calls before each week’s big game. And each week, the funniest, most entertaining submissions were used during LIVE game commentary, read out by the 3AW commentary team. The commentators also engaged with fans directly by recording all their favourite calls and posting them back on Facebook. Calls that earned the most kudos on Facebook were featured in our print and radio ads.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

We knew we couldn’t rely solely on radio advertising to attract new listeners when they’re locked in on another station or watching the game on their phone. We needed to go where footy fans were: showing their passion for their footy team on Facebook. To spread the word about this unique opportunity, we leveraged the Australian Football League’s large fan base on Facebook. We also targeted fans of the football teams playing in each week’s big game, to spur on participation based on sporting rivalries.