A new campaign from Wespac featuring a rousing musical number starring a banker and a referee aired during the recent first State of Origin game. The spot, created by DDB Sydney, and directed by Revolver’s Matt Devine, celebrates the partnership between Westpac and the National Rugby League (NRL).
“No one likes bankers too, but all I wanna do is help you financially,” the banker sings.
The spectacle injected entertainment into the ad break of Game 1 of the National Rugby League (NRL)’s State of Origin. A yearly tentpole sporting moment, State of Origin is the Super Bowl of Australia’s sporting calendar. It’s a three-game series where the best players from the National Rugby League represent either New South Wales or Queensland. The games, some of the most intense and passionate of the year, are some of the most-watched events on Australian TV, drawing millions of viewers across the country.
Westpac Chief Brand & Marketing Officer Annabel Fribence said: “At Westpac, we are extremely proud of our sponsorship of the NRL and NRL Women’s (NRLW) competitions. We know nobody really wants to think about banking during the footy, instead we wanted to be adding to the positive moments of the sport.”
“So we set ourselves the impossible goal of being as entertaining as the game, at least for the length of an ad. There’s nothing more Australian than being able to take the mickey out of yourself. As Australia’s oldest bank, it just felt right.”
DDB Sydney Executive Creative Director, Matt Chandler said: “We thought an epic slice of musical theatre was really the only way to do justice to the coming together of Westpac and the NRL. The plight of these two characters was a joy to bring to life for all of us, so we’re very excited for their story to be told on one of the biggest nights of the Australian sporting calendar.”
Westpac is the official banking partner of the NRL and provides equal financial support across both the men’s and women’s competitions, with a committed dollar-for-dollar investment.
The partnership extends to all levels of the game, providing junior pathways for emerging women through the RISE Rookie Academy and support for regional communities with the Roads to Regions program and Community Awards.
Credits
Client: Westpac
Agency: DDB Sydney
National Chief Creative Officer: Stephen de Wolf
Executive Creative Director: Matt Chandler
Creative Partner: Dan Bolton
Senior Creative: Henry Kember
Copywriter: Hannah Lawson
Art Director: Kate Idle
Managing Partner: Sasha Firth
Group Business Director: Siobhan Kelly
Senior Business Manager: Manon-Debus-Pesquet
Chief Strategy Officer: Fran Clayton
Head of Brand Performance: Michael Sinclair
Senior Strategist: Tom Witcombe
Group Head of Delivery: Adrian Jung
Senior Producer: Liz Nunan
Operations Director: Tim Lunken
Production Company: Revolver
Director: Matt Devine
Managing Director/Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer/Partner: Pip Smart
Senior Producer: Serena Paull
Director of Photography: Jeremy Rouse
Production Designer: Enzo Iacono
Costumer: Sophie Fletcher
Post-Production: ARC EDIT
Editor: Dan Lee
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
Online: Eugene Richards
Producer: Jess Ryan
Music Composition/Publishing: Soundtree Music Publishing Limited
Music Title: We’re Only Human
Composed by Joel Hartman
Soundtree Senior Producer: Neil Athale
Audio Post: Rumble Studios
