BBC Launches Six Nations Campaign With New Creative
The build-up to the start of the Guinness Six Nations has seen a flurry of marketing activity ahead of the tournament’s opening weekend.
Title sponsor Guinness has sent a love letter to the tournament – one with which it was intimately acquainted even before picking up the headline partnership – and broadcaster the BBC has also kicked off its build-up.
The free-to-air broadcaster will screen eight Guinness Six Nations matches across the tournament, with every home nation’s men’s game to be broadcast on BBC Radio as well throughout the competition.
The broadcaster says the new creative, entitled ‘Who Blinks First’, is designed to capture the competition’s unpredictable nature and to stir national pride across the four home nations. Featuring Owen Farrell, Alun Wyn Jones, Johnny Sexton and Stuart Hogg, the spots create portraits of each team captain as they stare down the camera.
James Cross, Creative Director at BBC Creative said: “We wanted to make films that grab the audience’s attention and someone staring you down certainly does that. That, coupled with rousing renditions of rugby crowds singing their hearts out we hope will inspire support for each nation as well as capturing the excitement of the Championship in a way that’s never been done before.”
James Parry, Head of Marketing BBC Sport and Events, said: “We wanted the ‘Who Blinks First?’ films to get fans excited for the return of the Six Nations. It was also important to us that the campaign grabbed the attention of audiences who are new to rugby – we hope the trails encourage them to discover for themselves why the Six Nations championship is loved by so many.”
The campaign will run on TV, digital and out of home platforms, while the broadcaster has also promised more films to be released as the tournament progresses.
