NOBODY DOES RUGBY SEVENS LIKE HONG KONG

TitleNOBODY DOES RUGBY SEVENS LIKE HONG KONG
BrandCATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
Product / ServiceRUGBY SEVENS
CategoryC04. Competitions & Promotional Games
EntrantLEO BURNETT HONG KONG, HONG KONG SAR
Idea Creation LEO BURNETT HONG KONG, HONG KONG SAR

Credits

Name Company Position
Carol Lam Leo Burnett HK President & Chief Creative Officer
Sonic Choy Leo Burnett HK Executive Creative Director
William Li Leo Burnett HK Deputy Executive Creative Director
Richard Tunbridge Leo Burnett HK Group Creative Director & Copywriter
Jessie Fung Leo Burnett HK Associate Creative Director & Copywriter
Jessica Lim Leo Burnett HK Account Director
Victor Lam Leo Burnett HK Account Director

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation ?

Cathay Pacific has been the title sponsor of the HK7s since 1976. CX leverage Rugby to enhance brand awareness and brand love through local and oversea market, CX is dedicated to build a strong connection and impression of CX, Rugby and HK spirits. Through holding the activation - Hysan Place and in HK Stadium, which building a Giant Gacha machine to win a Cathay Pacific collectaball or tote bag. HK public can feel the engagement and involvement which result in a total of 15,177 Catch-a-Collectaball games were played, 5X the participants compared to last year's highest participant rate.

Background

As title sponsor, Cathay Pacific has spent a fortune making the HK Sevens a must-see event for rugby fans around the world. Ironically, in its home market, Hong Kong see it as irrelevant, something for tourists and westerners, and even a bit of a nuisance. How does Cathay Pacific get locals to engage, feel part of something they think is for others, and earn a little love for the brand along the way?

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Present Hong Kong as the USP that defines the event. Show people that it's their unique culture that sits at the heart of the Sevens and makes it such an international success. NOBODY DOES RUGBY LIKE HONG KONG

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The world loves HK7s... Firmly established as one of the most popular annual sporting events in Asia, HK7s attracts some of the world's greatest rugby players and thousands of fans from around the globe to HK every year; with 40 teams playing in front of 120,000 spectators. ...And Hong Kong is a place like no other. Which is why, and more than ever, HongKongers want their identity, culture and spirit to be heard, seen and recognized in HK's most iconic sporting event. To make the campaign ownable by HK and its citizens, we weaved in the unique living textures of HK and make the event and HK culture inseparable. The Target Audience of our strategy are segmented as overseas rugby fans, HK public and 40,000 in-stadium attendees.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

3 hilarious films presented rugby in a whole new light. Players were seen embracing the local culture - eating egg waffles, playing mahjong and drinking tea. A limited-edition series of CollectaBalls were created. Each incorporated an idiosyncratic aspect of Hong Kong into the design - from mahjong tiles, to yum cha, neon lights, lion dances, pineapple buns and more. Social content explored the inspiration behind the designs and how the HK spirit can drive teams to victory on the rugby field too. At 3 Fan Zones, in hi-traffic areas, people played virtual rugby games and got a chance to win the coveted CollectaBalls from a gigantic Gatcha machine.

List the results (30% of vote)

Cathay Pacific's most successful campaign in years won the hearts of Hongkongers. Proof that nobody does rugby like Hong Hong... and Cathay Pacific. Record Participation: 5.3X Engagement, 15,000+ Games Played Massive Social Engagement: 3,700,000 impressions Brand Awareness: +7.2 points Brand Buzz: +9.3