TEST MATCH

TitleTEST MATCH
BrandCOMMONWEALTH BANK
Product / ServiceFINANCIAL SERVICES
CategoryA08. Digital Design
EntrantONE GREEN BEAN Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Media Agency IKON COMMUNICATIONS Sydney, AUSTRALIA
PR Agency ONE GREEN BEAN Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company ONE GREEN BEAN Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Kat Thomas One Green Bean Executive Creative Director
Matt Kendall One Green Bean Digital Business Director
Jemma Gabb One Green Bean General Manager
Will Salkeld One Green Bean Content Manager
Gus Clarke One Green Bean Community Manager
Tom Hoskings Ikon Social Manager
Niki Epstein Commonwealth Bank Executive Manager/Social Media And Digital Channels
Olivia Demlakian Commonwealth Bank Content Editor/Social/Digital Marketing
Wade Kuhn Facebook Creative Strategist
Gavin Carver Facebook Creative Strategist
Nick Tubb Facebook Client Partner
Nat Lovett Facebook

Brief Explanation

How could Commonwealth Bank engage cricket fans and cut through the myriad of news sources without detracting from fans’ enjoyment of the game? And how could they do so with limited access to the players and rigorous approval processes? Commonwealth Bank’s objective was to create content that engaged cricket fans with their sponsorship in environments where there was already a cricket conversation, ultimately contributing to an uplift in brand health.

The Brief

In 2013 Commonwealth Bank extended their longstanding relationship with Cricket Australia to include the sponsorship of the Australian Test Cricket Team. With the highly anticipated Ashes Series leading the news agenda in Australia and driving a huge spike in social conversations, Commonwealth Bank needed to find a way to cut through the competitive landscape and drive engagement and awareness of its sponsorship across social channels.

How the final design was conceived

The campaign used the iconic Crown and Andrew’s Test Match cricket game to create a series of figurines – representing the English and Australian players. In addition, a model replica of a stadium was built. Every possible match moment, from the emotion of the players to the reaction of the crowd, was photographed. A real-time publishing model, coupled with a targeted paid media strategy, enabled Commonwealth Bank to leverage the live action to spark conversations about cricket and the brand. Commonwealth Bank was also able to extend their sponsorship of cricket using this story-telling device to highlight its products and services.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The campaign reached 2.1 million Australians, including every Australian cricket fan on Facebook. It drove over 300,000 direct engagements, pushing Commonwealth Bank’s overall engagement rate to more than double the banking category. Favourability towards Commonwealth Bank skyrocketed. A Nielsen Brand Effects Study showed the campaign smashed industry benchmarks with a 4-point lift, which jumped to 9-points amongst 18-24 year olds. Positive sentiment hit record highs, smashing not only the Bank’s Facebook benchmark, but also wider social standards. Fans could not get enough of Commonwealth Bank’s Test match coverage, snapping up their own copy of the iconic game, which sold out.