Results and Effectiveness

NIELSEN Research showed A) 70% of people exposed to The Great Crusade were more interested in booking a trip to New Zealand and B) Qantas were the most recognised sponsor of the Rugby World Cup despite not being one. Forward bookings to NZ saw a lift during the RWC. Whilst the competition generated its own coverage of NZ our thirty-day voyage around less known parts of both islands contributed significantly to this uplift. The Great Crusade content received an Emmy nomination in the Digital Fiction category that will be awarded later in the year. 12.7 million views online alone.

Creative Execution

The Great Crusade was a convoy of branded camper vans following the Qantas Wallabies all over New Zealand during the RWC. Experiencing the best of NZ by day and Rugby and Parties by night. We hired 25 large camper vans branded them Qantas Wallabies - TGC. An online promotion was created to win a camper for you and a friend. Enter uploading a video proving you are a fanatical Wallaby supporter. 100 winners selected over 3 waves. A 21 episode mockumenatry series created, produced and released over 35 days. Multi platform - Digital, TV, Mobile and In-flight TV for people to follow TGC.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

New Zealand was the host of the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). The Great Crusade (TGC) was Qantas’ leverage campaign for their major sponsorship asset, the Qantas Wallabies (Australian Rugby team). The Objective was to A) increase intention to visit the destination of New Zealand and B) be seen as a major sponsor of the tournament (despite not being one) without breaching tournament rules and regulations. We knew that Rugby lovers had adventurous spirits and that NZ was the home of adventure. We also knew that it was a time the eyes of the world would be on NZ. The strategy was to develop an idea hat enabled us to not only show our support of the Qantas Wallabies but to also showcase NZ in a very positive light. Our idea was “The Great Crusade.”