New campaign from GPY&R Melbourne takes pride in AFL

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ASIA-PACIFIC – AUSTRALIA, MARCH 4, 2013 – George Patterson Y&R is launching a new blockbuster campaign for the Australian Football League. The campaign showcases people from all over the world being shown the game for the first time—"to prove that our game, Australia’s game, is unlike anything else in the world".

Everyone from South American soccer fans, Texan gridiron players, New York street-ballers and even Welsh pig farmers were asked to provide a fresh perspective on AFL and highlight the aspects of the game that make it unique. The campaign, which is set to the ACDC mega hit "long way to the top" stirs up some national pride for the only sport invented in Australia just for Australians.

“AFL is a unique product to advertise. It’s one of the country’s cultural icons and shiniest brands. It is passionately followed, discussed, debated and dissected by millions of Aussies and the media every day. So it comes with a big challenge – make sure the ads live up to the product. It’s got to be big, exciting, surprising and show off the amazing skills of our game. It’s one of the jobs that makes working in the ad game an absolute thrill,” said Ben Coulson, executive creative director of GPY&R Melbourne.

AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou said developing the next chapter of Australia’s Game was a natural step following the response to last year’s campaign. “The Australia’s Game campaign continues to celebrate our national competition as this country’s only Indigenous sporting code while highlighting the many extraordinary threads throughout the game."

“With AFL matches played across the country involving players and fans from every conceivable walk of life, a campaign centred on the next step of Australia’s Game was the obvious choice," he added. "This year’s campaign takes us beyond our own country and reminds us why Australian football is truly great and uniquely Australian. Whether it is the remarkable on-field feats of current champions like Lance Franklin or Jobe Watson, or the story of Nicky Winmar famously lifting his St Kilda jumper, Australia’s Game is steeped in the extraordinary. Australian fans have always been aware of our players’ extraordinary feats but through this campaign we can see that this is a sentiment shared the world over. Ultimately this campaign reminds us that this is our national game, a game with amazing elements that makes it extraordinary, and not just in the eyes of our own fans.”