PACESETTERS
//03
How Official and Non-official sponsors have used The Haka during the RWC.
HEINEKEN HAKA
Innocent shoppers were offered the chance to
win a VIP experience to the RWC while
Heineken, the worldwide partner of the RWC,
purchasing beer in a supermarket. They got
has created a global media campaign, which
more than they bargained for, when on picking
commenced in August stretching across OOH,
up the product, they were challenged to
print, digital and television.
perform their own Haka.
Heineken has the exclusive sponsorship rights
Bringing their coin toss rights into action,
to the coin toss before each match and this has
shoppers were first asked to take part in a coin
been the central focus of their marketing
toss over the tannoy. If they failed they went
campaign.
back to their shopping, if they succeeded, they
were then faced with an unexpected challenge
Alongside numerous other activations, they
created the “Heineken Haka”, which cleverly
incorporates their rights, whilst producing a
funny and engaging video.
BEATS BY DRE HAKA
of performing the war dance in front of three
Maoris. The participants were then whittled
down to two people before the overall winner
was decided by, you’ve guessed it – a coin flip.
McCaw’s example describes how deep rugby is
Beats by Dre already has a reputation of
engrained in New Zealand’s culture and society.
delivering memorable sponsorship activation
The video is driven by a Haka that could motivate
around major events without having any official
your average couch potato to lead the All Blacks
affiliation. After its guerrilla campaigns around
into battle. Showcasing Beats by Dre wireless
the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, the
headphones’ functionality is just a subtle but very
company has now ambushed the RWC.
clever addition to the 3:30 min extravaganza.
They cleverly picked up the storyline from the
With their latest campaign, Dr. Dre’s audio brand
FIFA World Cup 2014 with three clips called
has once again broken through the noise around a
“The Game Starts Here”. These videos follow
major sporting event without paying a single
rugby greats Chris Robshaw, Wesley Fofana
pence in sponsorship fee. Speculations about the
and Richie McCaw during their preparation for
end of “official” have gone on for a while now in
the RWC.
the industry and we will watch closely to see if a
new game in sponsorship does indeed starts here.