| Title | IT'S YOUR CALL |
| Brand | 3AW |
| Product / Service | SPORTS RADIO |
| Category | A03. Brand or Product Integration into an existing programme or platform |
| Entrant | WHYBIN\TBWA GROUP MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
| Entrant Company | WHYBIN\TBWA GROUP MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
| Contributing Company | WHYBIN\TBWA GROUP MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
| 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 |
3AW Football Radio was steadily losing its audience. Once loyal listeners were now watching the game Live on their smartphones. And worse still, tuning into rival radio stations. We didn’t just need to win back listeners, but also their loyalty. The creative 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 opportunity to create and submit their own footy commentary calls before each week’s big game. And each week, the funniest, most entertaining submissions were used during Live game commentary. 3AW commentators (most of them football legends) also engaged with fans directly by recording all their favourite calls and posting them back to the fans that submitted them on Facebook. Submitted calls that earned the most kudos on Facebook were also featured in socially-created print and radio ads.
We knew we couldn’t rely solely on radio advertising to attract new listeners when they’re locked in on another station. We needed to go where footy fans were. To spread the word about this unique opportunity, we leveraged the Australian Football League’s large fan base on Facebook and targeted fans of the football teams playing in each week’s big game, to spur on participation based on sporting rivalries.
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).
The ‘It’s Your Call’ campaign made 3AW Football Radio relevant to a whole new audience by giving fans a chance to create content through our branded 3AW Facebook page. The most entertaining content became a part of 3AW Football Radio’s Live game commentary. Throughout the campaign, fans were able to engage with football legends on the 3AW Commentary team through the Facebook page.