NZ was bracing itself for an invasion of more than 40,000 British Lions’ fans. Affectionately known as the ‘Barmy Army’, and infamously known for their loud, vocal and colourful support. New Zealanders, while fanatical about rugby, are not great ‘supporters’ and needed encouragement.We decided to brand New Zealand ‘Black’. We would dominate the visual landscape of the country. In order to do so, Adidas created ‘Stand in Black’-New Zealand’s largest ever guerilla promotional campaign.

Our 200m high ‘Haka Man’ icon could be seen from the air. It could be seen on Auckland’s Skytower. It stood atop islands. It stood on mountains and hilltops. It towered over cities and dominated town squares and public places. It was un-mistakeable. It was un-missable. It was everywhere.The Adidas Stand In Black supporters Pack, containing supporter’s scarf, and a multitude of wristbands, tattoos, key chains, stickers & rub downs, stencils and bodypaint, meant that all 4 million New Zealanders became our paramilitary, spreading our message to places we couldn’t even imagine.

For 2 months, towns and cities, streets and stadiums, workplaces and homes, pubs and bars, were full of Kiwis covered in ‘Haka Man’ icons and kitted out in Adidas. Celebrities like heavyweight boxer David Tua, Hollywood star Lucy Lawless, Supermodel Kylie Bax, and even the Prime Minister Helen Clark took up our rallying cry. The barmy ‘Red Army’ was Blacked Out.Adidas reached its highest ever unprompted brand awareness figure of 94%. They saw a massive 35% increase in licensed Adidas All Black products, and scored an ‘Effie’ Award for Adidas NZ for sales of the supporters’ pack.

Adidas NZ is one of several sponsors of the all Blacks. Adidas needed to cement the legitimacy of their sponsorship in the eyes of the average New Zealander and augment their ownership of New Zealand Rugby.