| Title | FANCESTRY |
| Brand | OPTUS TELECOMMUNICATION |
| Product / Service | FANCESTRY |
| Category | E03. Innovative Use of Social or Community |
| Entrant | M&C SAATCHI Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Idea Creation | M&C SAATCHI Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| David Jackson | M&C Saatchi | Creative Director |
| Luke Simkins | M&C Saatchi | Creative Director |
| Andy Flemming | M&C Saatchi | Creative Director |
| Mike Montgomery | M&C Saatchi | Digital Producer |
| Zoe Andrews | M&C Saatchi | Digital Producer |
| Rod Robles | M&C Saatchi | Design Director |
| Bianca Cassaniti | M&C Saatchi | Digital Designer |
| John Pethers | M&C Saatchi | Front End Developer |
| Ben Patterson | M&C Saatchi | Technology Lead |
| Simon Kent | M&C Saatchi | Creative Technologist |
| Iva Madderom | M&C Saatchi | Head Of Integrated Design |
| Gemma Heyes | M&C Saatchi | Executive Producer |
| Ken Marlewski | M&C Saatchi | UX Director |
| Kentaro Yoshida | M&C Saatchi | Illustrator |
Posters, EDMs and POS encouraged Aussies to visit the Fancestry site. All we needed was a surname. The Fancestry algorithm searched tens of millions of Ancestry records. We scoured births, deaths, military records and every census from the 1800s. And precise mapping gave you the team you never knew you supported. Along with their history, colours, famous players and, of course, a free trial to watch them play on Optus Sport. 63% of website visitors did just that. And a Pay TV network for a sport played in the middle of the night gained 40,000 new subscribers.
Ancestry.com were thrilled to take part in this unique project. It was an exciting use of their technology and a way for both companies to seamlessly work together. The chance to discover the team your ancestors went for was intriguing and exciting. Posters, EDMs and POS encouraged Aussies to visit the Fancestry site. All we needed was a surname. The Fancestry algorithm searched tens of millions of Ancestry records. We scoured births, deaths, military records and every census from the 1800s. And precise mapping gave you the team you never knew you supported. Along with their history, colours, famous players and, of course, a free trial to watch them play on Optus Sport. 63% of website visitors did just that. And a Pay TV network for a sport played in the middle of the night gained 40,000 new subscribers.
Sizing the market proved that In order to sufficiently grow Optus’ customer base we needed to grow the fan base of the EPL in Australia. Starting with the lowest hanging fruit, multi-sport fans who casually switch on the game, would generously double our audience. We needed to convert them into die hardcore EPL fans. Our insight unlocked a truth to sport fandom. A truth our audience know all too well. In order to feel invested in a sport, to fall in love with it, to enjoy every minute of it, you need to feel truly connected to it; it’s history, it’s players, it’s people. We found a meaningful & genuine way to help people find their team - knowing that if people have a team to support, and a reason for doing so, they would feel more invested in the EPL and therefore more likely to become a customer.