How to jump on an unofficial bandwagon
Kiwi advertisers are capitalising on the RWC. Alex Loo reports.
With Rugby World Cup fever beginning to take hold of an expectant nation, New Zealanders have been swamped with rugby-themed advertising virtually everywhere they look.
But with only a few major brands being able to afford the huge fees paid by official sponsors, most companies have to come up with cunning ways to capture the zeitgeist without mentioning the national team or the words Rugby World Cup.
Pak ‘n Save’s latest Stickman ads created by ad agency FCB New Zealand’s creative directors, Peter Vegas and Leisa Wall, is one of those navigating the delicate balance.
Their latest ads feature cameos from Snack Goodhue and Joe Foody, and Vegas says they asked NZ Rugby for permission to reference All Blacks Jack Goodhue and Joe Moody, out of respect for the players.
Vegas said there wasn’t a lot of ‘‘wriggle room’’ when it came to referencing the Rugby World Cup or the All Blacks in advertising.
‘‘Lawyers have a role to play these days, especially during bigger sporting events.’’ But Vegas said he and Wall hadn’t tried to push the boundaries of intellectual property too much, as Stickman was ‘‘not a smarta...’’.
Wall and Vegas knew there were phrases and words in a strict no-go zone. ‘‘Rugby World Cup’’ and ‘‘All Blacks’’ are two of the most obvious phrases to avoid but even mentioning ‘‘the cup’’ was ruled out, as was referring to an ‘‘all-black jersey’’.
Wall said it was particularly easy for businesses to get involved with World Cup-themed advertising by using the colour black but the least successful advertisements came from businesses or products without a clear relationship to rugby or watching sport.
Although it was a more nuanced way of tapping into a rugby-crazy market, Wall said Kiwibank’s latest ad targeting those who use Australian-owned banks did well to capture a ‘‘patriotic moment’’.
Food chains have been particularly eager to fuel fans. Domino’s NZ has its ‘‘cup challenge’’ giving away free pizzas when the All Blacks win, while BurgerFuel has released a neon blackout burger, featuring black buns and Japanese-inspired flavours.
Pead PR chief executive and founder Deborah Pead said events and brands had to be vigilant to protect the rights of their sponsors. She said it was ‘‘not only audacious but offensive’’ when advertisers deliberately impinged on copyright or pushed the boundaries too far.
There were ways brands could steer clear of legal issues.
She said Jockey, an official sponsor of the All Blacks but not for the Rugby World Cup, had aimed for that in its latest ad campaign, featuring videos of All Blacks taking on sumo wrestlers in a new underwear collection.
‘‘It is clever, they have been respectful and they are not undermining the rights and privileges granted to the sponsors.’’ Cultural sensitivity towards the Japanese also had to be observed, as any missteps could create a backlash, as the English rugby team experienced with their poorly-judged promotional video featuring players dressed as Samurai warriors.
‘‘You want to foster the spirit of support and excitement but you want to hold the line with respecting the sponsor’s rights.’’
New Zealand Rugby chief commercial officer Richard Thomas said it was normal to experience increased unauthorised usage of its intellectual property during major sporting events.
‘‘Right now, our job is to strike a balance between encouraging people to show their support and the need to protect the rights of our official sponsors and partners, by taking action against those clearly trying to profit off or leverage an unauthorised use of our marks and brand.’’
‘‘It is clever, they have been respectful and they are not undermining rights and privileges granted to sponsors.’’ Deborah Pead