ECB Raise The Bat Campaign Honours Cricketing Key Workers

The ECB has launched a new campaign to highlight the key workers that have been helping to support their community during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Developed in partnership with creative agency MATTA, the campaign will see more than 300 key workers, who have been nominated by their cricket clubs, feature on over 300 billboards across England and Wales.

“We have been truly humbled by reading the nominations which have drawn attention to the heroic work of nurses, teachers, care workers and supermarket staff who have responded to this crisis without hesitation,” said Russell James, Sales & Marketing Director at the ECB, who is leading the campaign.

“People are doing incredible things across the country and if we can shine a light on even a few of them with this out of home campaign, then we’re delighted to play our part.”

The campaign launches with over 300 roadside billboards across England and Wales going live from 1st June, while the #raisethebat campaign is set to run across the summer. The ECB is also asking asking anyone connected to cricket to use #raisethebat hashtag on social media platforms to nominate local key workers who are representing the spirit of the game. 

Matt Hunt, Executive Brand & Strategy Director at MATTA, said: “MATTA was delighted to be asked to support the #raisethebat initiative creatively. Given that England players would ordinarily be raising their bats to acknowledge our support, it seemed only right that they should now do the same to acknowledge the front line key workers who have been performing heroics on our behalf for the past few months.

“Obviously there were ‘lockdown’ challenges and limitations to securing imagery, though players’ family members and partners stepped in brilliantly to act as ‘photographers in residence’ to secure the socially distanced imagery at home. We trust that England players raising their bats will go some way to raising the spirits of all those nominated at this time.”

The #raisethebat campaign is part of the ECB’s Together Through This Test initiative which launched with a short film narrated by cricket fan, Stephen Fry. 

The billboards, which were originally planned to support a summer of cricket, have been used to feature England cricket stars, including World Cup winners Heather Knight and Moeen Ali and England Physical Disability team player Matt Askin, to thank those key workers who have been nominated by clubs across the country