World Cups on UK soil are a rare thing. World Cups that combine Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair events in one are unheard of. Until now. The Rugby League World Cup aimed to be the biggest, best and most inclusive World Cup ever. But with the global pandemic postponing the event for a year, a hugely successful summer of sport already played and Rugby League traditionally a lesser-known sport, we needed to give the nation a big reason to turn up.
So how do you get everyone excited for a Rugby League World Cup like no other?
By showing its real impact.
Finding the heart
Real Impact, on and off the pitch, was at the heart of this Rugby League World Cup. Real Impact of the full contact and skills that leaves an impression on everyone who watches. Real Impact of the stories of human endeavor that move people to care about these incredible sportsmen and women. Real Impact the sport has off the pitch with over £25,000,000 invested back into community clubs as legacy. Real Impact the sport has in inclusivity that will see more and more women and wheelchair players welcomed into the game. So we chose to bring these stories of Real Impact to life throughout our campaign.
Bringing the life
To ensure maximum effect, we brought Real Impact to life as an embedded idea across the tournament, from build up to Grand Final. This included Host Impact Days, engaging with members of the business community, as well the wider community through trophy tours and mini rugby festivals – ensuring everyone felt the power of the RLWC from the outset.
To ensure a consistent and authentically impactful visual look at the same time, we gave equal impact to the men’s, women’s and wheelchair games through a distinctive art direction style. Three coloured graphic ribbons were combined with impactful statements and powerful black and white imagery to tell the stories of the World Cup and its stars.
Making it thrive
With a little over a month and a half to go, we created a powerful film featuring a host of famous faces from the sport and beyond to really show the impact of the Rugby League World Cup. From rising stars in the England Women’s team, to dual code legends like Jason Robinson, to celebrity fans like Adam Hills and Clare Balding, the film shows what the tournament and the sport means to everyone involved, inviting the crowds to come and see real impact for themselves.
A further film was created featuring Rugby’s own poet laureate Tony Walsh, which was also played at the opening ceremony. This activity was backed up by a series of OOH executions that tell the stories of real impact across the country, from equality and inclusivity, to where money will be spent, to overcoming adversity and proving the doubters wrong. Each features a link to a deeper story for the person featured, allowing fans to go deeper into their story and build a connection that could turn into a lifelong love of the game.
The impact
“We set out to land the biggest, best and most inclusive Rugby League World Cup in history. With Cravens on our team, we achieved that and so much more for the world of Rugby League”
Mick Hogan – Director of Revenue at Rugby League World Cup 2021
