The Brief

NAB were looking for a way to leverage sponsorship of AFL without simply riding the coat-tails of popular sport, while reaching out to the different ethnic communities their customers come from. Australia is now the world's third most multi-cultural country yet our largest sporting event is only broadcast in English. NAB wanted this to change.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

FOOTIFYFM was created . A live broadcast of Grand Final Day in Australia's 10 most spoken languages. The commentators were passionate footy fans found via social channels, who were then trained by professional broadcasters. The aim is to make AFL a bigger game. To attract not only more Australians but an international audience.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The technology had never been realized in Australia. The commentators and this technology both garnered huge amounts of PR. And people all over Australia, and from 25 countries, heard the AFL Grand Final in the language of their choice. Positive sentiment for NAB grew to 95% (an all time high for the bank) and when prompted, people believed that NAB were the official naming rights sponsor for Grand Final. A fact that made Toyota (the actual naming rights sponsor) more than a little peeved.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

NAB have been long time sponsors of AFL in Australia. The National Bank of Australia is an iconic Australian business, as is Australian Rules Football, so the chance to marry the community with it's most watched spectator sport via multi-lingual commentary on Grand Final Day was unprecedented. It is a day where Australia stands still, stops what it's doing, and watches the Grand Final. To include every Australian on this day, no matter what their origin, felt less like a large corporation throwing money at sport, and more of a celebration of a multicultural Australia.