“A New Era Begins”, a premiership campaign by R/GA Sydney, kicked off the start of the 2019 National Rugby League (NRL) season.
The campaign brought the next generation of rugby league talent into the headlines which highlighted the change of guard this season, following the retirement of several members last year.
Craig Brooks, R/GA Sydney’s Executive Creative Director stated that the work is made to be inclusive to engage both avid and non-mainstream supporters. “The NRL fanbase is divided into wildly-disparate heartlands, and our challenge was to bring their stories together, and to life. We created something packed full of community mythology, club subplots, and player insights, if you know what you’re looking for but it equally stands alone as an authentic snapshot of our culture,” he added.
The short film has a fiery opening, with North Queensland Cowboy Jason Taumalolo moving forward into the coming season despite expectations. Energetic music fills the background, as the scene transitions to the 16 men’s teams and the 4 women’s teams.
The zestful spirit of the film along with strong Australian imagery and symbolism is directed by Glendyn Ivin, one of Australia’s leading directors and awarded with Palme d’Or in the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. He is known for his powerful storytelling in film, television, and commercials with works such as “Puberty Blues”, “Safe Harbour” and “The Cry”.
“I love the energy of this campaign. Like the game itself there’s a powerful mix of poetry and raw athleticism,” Ivin shared. “Working closely with the players and their stories has lent a documentary-like feeling of intimacy. It reflects the new players stepping up and the people they play for.”
R/GA has also created an extended online content series for the NRL which allows fans to dive deeper in the short film’s narrative. There will also be a collection of short films called “Stories of the New Era” which will show behind the scenes footage and players’ insights on the season. In addition, NRL’s official website will feature an editorial series to explore its coded imagery.
Peter Jarmain, Head of Marketing of NRL stated that this year’s Premiership campaign is about looking to the future of the game.
NRL Head of Marketing, Peter Jarmain, said this year’s Premiership campaign was about looking to the future of the game. He said, “This season represents a pivotal year for the game. Whilst many great players have retired, a new generation of young talent is emerging, and exciting fans like never-before. We have a world class venue opening this year, that will redefine the event experience for new and existing fans from a number of clubs. New concepts like Magic Round Brisbane, and the Women’s Premiership (now entering its second year), provide a vehicle to strengthen the connection with our avid fans, but importantly connect the game with new audiences.”
“A refreshed visual brand for the Telstra Premiership, also provides a catalyst to signal this new era of the game. From a communications standpoint, we need to leverage these exciting additions, but also seek to reinforce the connection between clubs and their local communities, which is core to our competition. This campaign is one of many initiatives that will tackle this strategy,” Jarmain finished.
Agency Credits:
Creative Agency: R/GA Sydney
Production Company: Exit Films
Director: Glendyn Ivin
Producer: Alice grant
DOP: Sam Chiplin
Post-Production: Arc
Audio-Post: Song Zu
Media: Blue 449
Music: Peking Duk, “Say My Name”
Music Supervision: Anton @ Trailer Media
Client: National Rugby League
Head of Marketing: Peter Jarmain
Senior Marketing Manager – Premiership: Nicole Chesher
Marketing Manager – Premiership & Consumer Business – Rita Khouri
