ANZ Releases Limited-Edition, “Film Score”-Esque Vinyl To Celebrate Auckland FC’s ‘Record Season’

ANZ Bank Aotearoa, a founding sponsor of Auckland Football Club (AFC), has released ‘Record Season’ -- a limited edition vinyl reimagining eight highlights from the team’s inaugural season.

Created in partnership with TBWA\NZ, ‘Record Season’ challenges traditional notions of sport sponsorship, fusing sport, street culture, and audio. A creative tribute from ANZ to Auckland is intended to live in culture and resonate with fans beyond a traditional sports marketing campaign.

Each of the eight tracks on ‘Record Season’ immortalises records broken through the season, reimagined as an immersive audio experience.

‘Six Straight’ captures the energy of the club’s first six games and consecutive wins – the best start to a season in league history. ‘Hold the Line’ salutes the team’s incredible defensive effort: 532 minutes without conceding a goal. ‘Auckland Till We Die’ is a tribute to the fans who filled out Go Media Stadium with its largest-ever crowd of 27,000.

TBWA\NZ chief creative officer Shane Bradnick told LBB AFC’s history-making season deserved a tribute “just as bold”.

“As one of the club’s founding sponsors, ANZ wanted to commemorate that history in a way that would endure,” Shane said. “We combed through hours of match commentary, fan chants, player interviews, and podcast moments to bring it all to life.

“Like a movie soundtrack, we used orchestral, ambient musical elements to create emotional highs and lows – more like a film score than a sports recap. The result is spectacular and it’s something that truly transports you. Just drop the needle, close your eyes, and you’re there.”

Only 150 hand-numbered vinyls were made for the campaign, which were pressed in Auckland by Holiday Records and gifted to players, superfans, and proud Aucklanders. However, the audio can also be streamed on Spotify.

“It was about making something meaningful -- a personal thank-you from ANZ to the team, the fans, and the wider Auckland community,” Shane said.

“Each player received their own copy. We also gifted records to key community supporters like Tyler Street, the home of Auckland FC, and The Port – the club’s main fan group. A handful of vinyls were distributed to select media and cultural opinion leaders across the city.”

Fans can also win a copy through ANZ and AFC’s social channels.

The agency’s production partners, Holiday Records and Franklin Road, are themselves fans of the club.

“Shane Taipari at Franklin Road called it a dream gig for a sound engineer,” Shane said.

“Because of this shared passion and love for what this new club represents, the project was built with care, authenticity and a shared sense of pride in what this team means to the city.”

‘Record Season’ follows the successful Day One campaign, which saw ANZ give away more than 200 limited-edition AFC shirts across the city in the lead-up to game one, driving fans on a hunt through Auckland to build hype.

Getting involved with football and the club, Shane said, was an opportunity for ANZ to embed itself into something new and drive momentum around football’s growth.

“We started the season by giving fans Day One shirts – a symbol of being there from the very start. And we finished with Record Season, a lasting tribute to everything this debut year meant to the club and its community.”

Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker added the season was about more than just football.

“From the roar of the crowd to those spine-tingling moments on the pitch, ‘Record Season’ captures the heartbeat of our debut year,” Nick said.

The record features special touches for AFC fans, like incorporating The Port’s famous chant, which is heard at every game, a locker room speech from coach Steve Corica, and even a thank you from one of the players.

The Record Season vinyl drop also coincides with a full-scale OOH and social campaign currently live across Auckland, with a simple message from ANZ to the city: “Thank You Auckland.”

“It’s a time capsule that can be pulled off the shelf seasons from now, transporting people back to this historic first season,” Shane said.

“In 10 or 15 years from now, when someone plays this record for their kids -- or you see someone proudly wearing their Day One jersey, that’s the true measure of success.“