ABOUT

Concept

The Bench campaign was a vibrant celebration of the Te Ao Māori Manaaki concept, embodying respect and kindness towards others. Using the Bench as a symbol for the connection we can create, the campaign served as a unifying force for All Blacks enthusiasts worldwide, transcending global boundaries and fostering a sense of belonging beyond the rugby field.

Tasked with bringing this campaign to life on social media, Engage Digital Partners embarked on a strategic journey leaning into user-generated content (UGC). We leveraged pivotal moments leading up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup tournament, harnessing fan engagement to amplify the campaign's impact.

Strategy

The Bench concept was introduced to Rugby fans both organically on social channels and via a Paid Media awareness stream using engaging video content pieces developed by New Zealand Rugby and adapted by us as short form content.

Once established, we ran multiple activations to encourage fan participation in creating and sharing their own content and messages of support. We then leveraged the All Blacks large social following by showcasing some of the best entries from the campaigns to date.
There was also a conscious effort to involve the All Blacks team and show them reacting to some of the support messages, to strengthen and validate the campaign.

Alongside this, our paid media approach utilised the great organic content being created, focusing on a dedicated conversion campaign with the primary objective of capturing data within our rich targeted audience groups. We targeted true All Black advocates and used them to share the campaign within their own networks, amplifying and maximising reach. This audience network was then re-targeted throughout our conversion campaign and helped us with our data capture.

A dedicated boosting budget was also allocated to maximise the reach of the organic content and the activations. Our ad campaign also uplifted the clever organic graphics produced for the different conversion peaks.

Execution

Following the awareness video pieces, the campaign's launch phase introduced a Bench-branded digital photo frame, allowing fans to share their personalised images on various social media platforms. Premiering during the Bledisloe Cup match against Australia in early August, this initiative debuted as an in-stadium big-screen activation, inviting fans to scan QR codes to join the campaign.

As the campaign progressed into its second phase, the spotlight shifted to a widespread UGC initiative, urging fans to express their support for the team from across the globe ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France. The All Blacks' official social media channels showcased the most compelling fan messages, ranging from heartfelt videos to captivating imagery shared by supporters worldwide. #TheBench hashtag and the iconic Tohu emblem were integrated throughout, enhancing campaign visibility and resonance.

Vertical videos featuring young fans performing the haka and snapshots of supporters in all corners of the globe were branded with the Bench campaign aesthetic and shared across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, amplifying the campaign's reach and engagement.

A pivotal campaign narrative moment unfolded during the team's pre-tournament excursion to London. We located the renowned Ted Lasso bench in Richmond to create a compelling content capture opportunity, integrating the hit TV show and popular culture into the campaign to reach adjacent audiences.

The dialogue between fans and players, facilitated by the exchange of messages of support, built community spirit and strengthened campaign momentum. This two-way interaction generated a spike in entries as fans could see players reading and connecting with their messages.

As the tournament progressed, the campaign gathered momentum, with players engaging with thousands of messages from devoted fans. Despite the All Blacks' narrow defeat in the final, the tournament's conclusion garnered an outpouring of support from across New Zealand and beyond. From impassioned displays by entire schools to poignant letters expressing renewed admiration for the team, these tributes underscored the profound impact of the campaign on the global rugby community.

Even in the face of defeat, the campaign's success prompted a post-tournament extension, inviting fans to convey their gratitude to the team - a fitting conclusion to an unforgettable activation that transcended sporting boundaries and fostered connection among fans worldwide.

Results

The Bench social campaign helped a nation rally behind its number one sports team from afar during the Rugby World Cup 2023, illustrated by the thousands of images and video submissions from fans throughout the country showing their passion for the team as the campaign progressed. Whilst going to battle on the world stage far from home, the All-Blacks and their fans remained connected as a unified force; the nation became their bench.

Over 6,000 pieces of unique UGC imagery and videos were received throughout the campaign, and fans posted over 150,000 messages of support in the comments of campaign social media posts.

New Zealand Rugby captured over 26,000 new fans’ data throughout the campaign.

The campaign delivered over 5 million engagements across social media channels, with over 40 million video views on UGC and campaign content across all platforms.

Several pieces of UGC content received from fans during the campaign were posted across the All Blacks social media channels and became the most engaged posts in the accounts’ history.

A 'Baby bench haka' video received over 1 million engagements across all social media channels, with 575,000 engagements on Instagram alone, making it the most engaged post on the All Blacks Instagram channel.

The campaign also succeeded on TikTok, with a 'Future All Black in the making' reel receiving over 500,000 engagements, ensuring that it reached younger and emerging audiences on this platform.

During the The Bench campaign, the UGC-led strategy contributed to the All Blacks' social media channels' unprecedented growth of 1.5 million followers, equating to a staggering 15% channel growth.

Ultimately, the campaign brought New Zealand Rugby and its fans closer than ever through the two-way dialogue of content exchange between players and fans. Support for the travelling All Blacks was felt from across the globe like never before, as the fans were genuinely able to be #TheBench for the nation’s number one sports team.