Things weren’t always so rosy for the Newcastle Knights. Not so long ago, they were coming off the back of two consecutive wooden spoons and fan morale was at an all-time low. To reignite chemistry for fans and drive memberships for the new season, we turned to the one thing fans would always be proud of: their home ground. Over the last 30 years, every part of the field had witnessed incredible moments that shaped the club’s history. For Knights fans, it’s sacred ground.
To launch the membership drive, we gave fans the chance to get behind the team like never before, by offering them their very own patch of hallowed turf at the Knights home stadium.
Through an immersive online platform, we divided the playing field into 30,000 pieces of virtual turf, and gave fans the chance to own a patch of history, as well as discover and relive the history the ground. All this was shareable, along with the title deed they received from the Knights CEO.
By connecting with fans in an entirely new way, we helped sell over 13,000 pre-season memberships, the most in the Knights’ 30-year history.
Client: Newcastle Knights
CEO: Matt Gidley
ECD: Pete Ogden
Exec Director: Peter Chapman
CD: Luke Duggan, Cam Brown
Creative Team: Matt Dawe, Matt Plummer,, Lucy Edison, Dan Stephens
Digital Team: John Kouris, Will Brown, Abhishek Das, Quan Do
Planner: Gerad Pethabridge
Agency Producer: Baz Milas
Photography: Ange Maloney
Production Company: Infinity Squared
Director: Dylan Duclos
Production Co Producer: Jo Austin
Offline Editor: James Ashbolt
Grade/VFX: Matty Fezz
Sound Design: Noise International
Online Imagery: Limehouse Creative
Client: Newcastle Knights
CEO: Matt Gidley
ECD: Pete Ogden
Exec Director: Peter Chapman
CD: Luke Duggan, Cam Brown
Creative Team: Matt Dawe, Matt Plummer,, Lucy Edison, Dan Stephens
Digital Team: John Kouris, Will Brown, Abhishek Das, Quan Do
Planner: Gerad Pethabridge
Agency Producer: Baz Milas
Photography: Ange Maloney
Production Company: Infinity Squared
Director: Dylan Duclos
Production Co Producer: Jo Austin
Offline Editor: James Ashbolt
Grade/VFX: Matty Fezz
Sound Design: Noise International
Online Imagery: Limehouse Creative
The Newcastle Knights are the heart and soul of the Hunter Region. In these parts, fans don’t just support their team…they bleed red and blue.
And over the years, they’ve enjoyed their fair share of unforgettable moments throughout the club’s 30-year history.
But for the past two seasons, there’s been little to cheer about for the Knights’ faithful.Coming off the back of the most disappointing season in the club’s history, statistically the worst ever by any team in the history of the NRL, we were set the toughest of challenges – reingnite passion for the team and drive memberships for the 2017 season.
To find our solution, we looked no further than the Knights home stadium.
At this ground, buried beneath the surface, are 30 years of glory, hardships, hopes and dreams, unforgettable stories and moments that have shaped the club.
The blood, sweat and tears of legendary players are soaked deep into the soil.
It is Sacred Ground.
To launch the 2017 membership drive, we gave supporters the chance to be part of history and get behind their team like never before… by offering them their own patch of hallowed turf at the Knights home stadium.
The Spot
Through an immersive online platform, we divided the playing field into 30,000 square foot patches, and gave fans the chance to discover and relive the history the ground.
Fans can claim their own patch of ground, and add memories of their favorite moments watching their beloved team play at home.
All this was shareable, along with the title deed they received from the Knights CEO.
By connecting with fans in an entirely new way, we helped sell over 13,000 pre-season memberships, the most in the Knights’ 30-year history.
"This is the biggest campaign idea we've rolled out as a club and in our 30th year, it's even more important that we get it right and give our Members something special," CEO Matt Gidley explained."We have great support from our fans and we love the concept delivered, because it is innovative and original in our market."