How Thinkerbell and XXXX Celebrated The Queensland Community for State of Origin
You never forget where you came from. In a grand display of pride and community support, XXXX, the iconic Australian beer brand, launched a powerful campaign last month for the 2023 State of Origin series. Following the success of last year's initiative, XXXX has once again removed its logo from the left sleeve of the Queensland jersey and replaced it with each individual player's chosen postcode.
The campaign aims to honour the contributions of the broader community in backing the Maroons players, while the support that enables them to represent their state on the rugby league field.
LBB caught up with Tom Wenborn, executive creative director (tinker) at Thinkerbell, to gain insight into the campaign's inspiration, and challenges, and learn about the long-term relationship between XXXX, the Maroons, and the broader Queensland community.
LBB> What inspired the decision to remove the iconic XXXX logo from the Queensland jersey for the second year in a row and replace it with the player's chosen postcode?
Tom> It captured Queensland’s attention last year, so we thought we'd go bigger and better this year. This year XXXX are able to get more community support with the release of limited-edition special XXXX cans with numbers on them, so people can celebrate their own postcode and their local community. All those communities then have one voice in supporting the maroons in the state of origin. It’s then nicely wrapped up with the line 'pride in your origin’.
LBB> In addition to the player jerseys and cans, the campaign includes various elements such as new merchandise, pub displays, and a TVC. How did you decide on the different touchpoints for the campaign, and what impact do you hope they will have in spreading pride across the Sunshine State?
Tom> For 2023, it was an obvious evolution to expand this campaign to allow all Queenslanders to showcase their own community pride during the series. As such, XXXX has launched limited edition postcode merchandise packs which include a XXXX cap, stubby holder, and t-shirt that can be personalised with fans’ own postcode of choice.
The objective was to give people the tools to celebrate their own communities as a bigger narrative in supporting Queensland. So, the touchpoints selected are all to that end. The main idea here was to capture the voice of Queensland hence such a heavy investment in UGC and media bought to show the UGC.
LBB> The XXXX Brewery, a significant landmark, will also showcase a new look with the beer tanks displaying the Milton postcode. Could you explain the thinking behind incorporating the iconic brewery into the campaign and how it adds to the overall narrative?
Tom> In asking Queenslanders to show their pride, the brand wanted to put their money where its mouth was and demonstrate its own pride in its origin. This idea was XXXX putting the ultimate representation of pride on their brewery as a nod to the brewery postcode, Milton.
LBB> What challenges did you encounter while executing this campaign, and how did you overcome them? Were there any specific considerations in terms of logistics, coordination, or stakeholder involvement?
Tom> No challenges. Big ideas have a way of finding their way out into the world relatively easily. The trick with ideas like this is to leave them open-ended and try not to control them too much. Throw it open to the community, and let them do the rest.
LBB> How do you measure the success of this through-the-line campaign? What metrics or indicators will you be looking at to evaluate its impact on brand engagement, community involvement, and overall campaign objectives?
Tom> We measure the impact very carefully across all metrics. We saw some excellent results last year, and expect an even better impact this year due to the sheer size and nature of the campaign.
LBB> How do you envision the campaign's long-term impact on the relationship between XXXX, the Maroons, and the broader Queensland community? What legacy do you hope to create through this campaign?
Tom> It's too early for that kind of talk, right now we are just so proud we've worked with XXXX to bring our sponsorship of the maroons to life in a way that really resonates with the people of Queensland.
