Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Insurance isn’t entertaining. It also isn’t what Sydney Swans fans think about when they’re cheering on their team. So, how do we as QBE engage fans in a meaningful, entertaining way? Enter: The Flash Lab. Where QBE encourages fans to become part of something bigger by being part of the Fabric of the Sydney Swans, whilst also allowing us to inject our ‘Be Safe on the Road’ message in an authentic, innovate fashion.

Background

QBE have been the principal sponsor of the Sydney Swans for 33 years (one of the longest partnerships in Australian Sport). And whilst 52% of fans were aware of the QBE brand* (a massive result for any sponsor!), only 17% were considering buying their insurance products* and only 3% held a product with QBE*. Research showed that whist fans were more than familiar with the logo (they had been seeing at games for 3 decades!), they had little connection to the company. There was little meaning in the partnership. *Source: QBE Brand Tracker

Describe the creative idea

As an insurer, QBE is concerned with road safety. Our ‘(Q)Be Safe on the Road’ campaign was already live in market, now we wanted to extend this message to fans of the Sydney Swans. We worked with chemical engineering experts to bring washable, reflective paint into Australia for the first time and created The Flash Lab to help keep fans safe. We’ve created a range of bespoke Sydney Swans designs; each a depiction of what it means to be a true Swans fan. On Driver Avenue, fans are able to step into the QBE Flash Lab where they have the design ‘invisibly’ applied onto the front of their shirt. They then enter our photo booth where under the flash, their design becomes visible to the eye, and the fan exits now a part of the Fabric of the Swans. The reflective design ensuring they Got Home Safe.

Describe the strategy

Years of logos, banners, signage and big screens. Great awareness drivers, poor vehicles for meaning. However, there’s one asset that exists in a place above all others. A place QBE owns – a place that comes loaded with emotion and meaning. A place where our brand is literally on the heart of players and fans alike. The Sydney Swans Shirt. The Shirt has History, Heroes, Hijinks, Highs, Lows, Controversy, Comedy, Community, and Commitment. It’s where our brand has sat on the hearts of fans and players for more than three decades. Therefore, we made the Shirt the 100% focus of our efforts for 2019 and 2020. The singular canvas to deliver our messages of meaning to over a million fans. And with QBE having just launched a brand campaign encouraging people to ‘Get home safe’ our task became clear. Use the iconic Swans shirt to deliver our road safety message.

Describe the execution

The world’s first Australian Football shirt that reflected car headlights. We worked with chemical engineering experts to bring washable, reflective paint into Australia for the first time. Then we created the Flash Lab. A fully self-contained booth; dropped into the stadium for Swans 11 home games right across the 2019 season. Ensuring thousands of fans had their beloved team shirt upgraded from a reflection of their passion to a lifesaving reflection of car lights.

Describe the outcome

Fan Awareness of the QBE brand has climbed to an all-time high of 69% (a 33% boost) Consideration of QBE products rose to 26% (an increase of 53%) Sales spiked with Swans fans more than three times as likely to hold a QBE product (up 233% from 3% to 10% of people). Source: QBE Brand Tracker