"Aussies can’t become fanatics of women’s sport if they’re never exposed to the power of women’s sport."
Bundaberg Rum and Leo Burnett Australia have partnered with the NRL to create the world’s first official mixed gender fantasy league, The Bundy Mixer.
The program has been developed to allow fans to build their team by selecting players from both the men’s and women’s leagues, bringing focus to the player’s statistics and game play, not their gender. Fans nationwide will now be able to pick the best of the best.
The campaign is also set to run in stadium across key upcoming matches between the Broncos and Cowboys, and will be amplified through podcasts and select influencers
Leo Burnett associate creative director, Marijke Spain, says: “Most campaigns about women’s sport tend towards ‘empowerment’ and other clichés. They often preach to the converted, rather than the majority of sports fans. So, we wanted to create an idea that would act as a trojan horse, getting diehard NRL fans to learn about the NRLW, without fundamentally creating a new behaviour. ‘Bundy Mixer’ asks all NRL fans to make up their own mind about the NRLW, based on stats, not gender.”
Leo Burnett senior strategy director, Abigail Dubin-Rhodin, said: “The Australian sporting ecosystem is extremely gender-biased in favour of male codes and athletes. Only 8% of sport sponsorship and 7% of broadcast coverage is directed toward women.
“Sports fans haven’t been given a fair shot to give women and their sports a fair shot. And we all know that fans aren’t born, they’re nurtured. Aussies can’t become fanatics of women’s sport if they’re never exposed to the power of women’s sport. So, we set out to correct this imbalance and use Bundy’s fame and the brand’s relationship with the NRL to make the players of the NRLW – the fastest growing segment of the league – as famous as the men.”
Jodi McLeod, marketing manager of Bundy said: “Aussies are enthusiastic about playing these games and we’re excited to bring the famous Bundy to Fantasy to elevate the fame of the women’s game and players through the Bundy Mixer.
“At Bundy we want to champion the profiles of the women’s game, highlight the capabilities of the female players and influence Aussies to engage in the game and assist us in our pursuit to create equal space for everyone in sport.
“We are proud to be supporting the NRLW and are looking forward to seeing the Bundy Mixer come to life – and getting more people involved in the game.”
Credits:
Client: Bundaberg Rum / Diageo
Marketing Director: Andy Oughton
Marketing Manager: Jodi McLeod
Assistant Brand Manager: Isabella Margin
Creative Agency: Leo Burnett Australia
Executive Creative Director: Andy Fergusson
Creative Director: Michelle Walsh
Associate Creative Director: Marijke Spain
Senior Copywriter: Eric Franken
Chief Strategy Officer: Catherine King
Senior Strategy Director: Abigail Dubin-Rhodin
Connections Strategy Director: Alexandra Nel
General Manager: James Walker Smith
Group Account Director: Andrew Inman
Senior Business Director: Prudence Purnell
Business Manager: Jayde Machell
Lead Integrated Producer: Justine Dooner
Social & Content Lead: Irnin Khan
Partner: NRL
Digital Account Manager: Harry Greenwood
Partnerships Manager: Emily Costello
PR: Herd MSL
Chief Client Officer: Jen Brown
Business Director: Janete Sampaio
Account Manager: Isobel Ramsay
Senior Account Executive: Michael Millimaci
Production Company: Mint Films
Director: Andrew Seaton
DOP: Matt Samperi
Producer: Nick Mutton
Photographer: Jo Duck
