Background

When Vodafone became the official sponsor of the Irish rugby team, the brief was clear – Vodafone needed to behave differently to stand out in a busy landscape.

Breaking tired conventions of sports sponsorship by speaking to a new breed of rugby fan in a different voice, we aimed to drive consideration and affinity for Vodafone by delivering value to fans.

Strategy

Despite the close proximity of Irish society, our research showed that both the Irish team and fans craved a closer connection to each other. So, we set out to build the most interconnected team and fanbase on the planet. Why? Because you shout louder for someone you know. To do this, we had to show the humans behind the heroes.

Creative

Following a record-breaking first year for Team Of Us, our campaign gives a rare glimpse into the upbringings of Rory Best, Tadhg Furlong, Conor Murray and Tiernan O’Halloran, showing how, like all of us, their surroundings have defined who they are as people – and who they are is how they play. 

We worked directly with the players to ensure the scenes we shot were based on real events, and family members featured in the ads.