| Title | BLOCKER THE PSYCHIC ROACH |
| Brand | TAB |
| Product / Service | TAB |
| Category | C01. Integrated Campaign Led by Promo & Activation |
| Entrant | ANALOGFOLK Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Entrant Company | ANALOGFOLK Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Advertising Agency | ANALOGFOLK Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Gabor Zins | Analogfolk | Creative Technologist |
| Jack Brown | Analogfolk | Creative Technologist |
| Jenn Aspinwall | Analogfolk | Senior Creative |
| Pia Chaudhuri | Analogfolk | Senior Creative |
| Stephen Levin | Analogfolk | Senior Producer |
| Tom Hull | Analogfolk | Client Partner |
| Matt Grogan | Analogfolk | Executive Creative Director |
| Matt Robinson | Analogfolk | Managing Director |
New South Wales betting agency TAB wanted to increase bets on first try scorers during Australia’s 2013 State of Origin rugby league series, a fierce interstate battle that pits the Queensland Maroons vs. the New South Wales Blues. In addition to increasing bets, TAB wanted the idea to reach new consumers and earn PR and media attention.
Speaking to an audience of non-betters, we needed to do something out of the ordinary. We took the Blues’ mascot, a cockroach—and created Blocker the Psychic Roach, a real insect that could predict bets for fans. Fans could sign up for personal predictions from Blocker and watch them happen live online. Participants got to see their name in lights around Blocker’s model stadium and walk away with a personalised webpage and video to share. They could compare Blocker’s pick for them with the real TAB odds on the same website, and click to place a bet.
First try scorer bets during the State of Origin series rose from the previous year, meeting TAB’s business goal. The PR/earned media goals were also met, with Blocker earning appearances on Fox Sports News and in News Limited Corp. national publications such as The Daily Telegraph. The campaign’s digital goals of driving engagement and site traffic were also achieved. In just the first week of the campaign, Blocker helped TAB gain 5,000 new Facebook likes and reach 435,358 unique people. The campaign content we shared on behalf of TAB outperformed, on average, TAB’s regular Facebook content.
TAB needed something fresh and innovative if they were going to appeal to a new audience and get them to do something they wouldn’t normally do. Blocker combined a unique concept, technology and personalisation to refresh a decades-old brand and sporting event. It stood out from the typical rugby-themed promotions that take place around sponsor-saturated State of Origin period.