New Zealand was the host of the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). The Great Crusade (TGC) was Qantas’ leverage campaign for their major sponsorship asset, the Qantas Wallabies (Australian Rugby team). The Objective was to:A) increase intention to visit New ZealandB) be seen as a major sponsor of the tournament. A big task when you consider as non-sponsors they had no rights and were subject to many restrictions.The strategy was to develop an idea that enabled us to show our support of the Qantas Wallabies whilst simultaneously showcasing exciting NZ.

NIELSEN Research showed:A) 70% of people exposed to The Great Crusade were more interested in booking a trip to New Zealand (in the next 12 months)B) Qantas were the most recognised sponsor of the Rugby World Cup despite not actually being one.Over 100 people got to live the experience of a lifetime touring New Zealand experiencing the best it has to offer and attending all of the Wallabies matches and over 20m followed them and TGC across various content platforms.The Great Crusade content received an Emmy nomination in the Digital Fiction category.

The Great Crusade was a convoy of branded campervans following the Qantas Wallabies all over New Zealand during the RWC. Experiencing the best of NZ by day and Rugby and Parties by night.We hired 25 large campervans and branded them Qantas Wallabies - TGC. An online promotion was created to win a camper for you and a friend. Enter by uploading a video proving you are a fanatical Wallaby supporter. 100 winners were selected over 3 waves.A 21 episode mockumenatry series was created, produced and released over 35 days. Multi platform - Digital, TV, Mobile and In-flight TV for people to follow TGC.

As Qantas carry one-third of all inbound passengers, promoting NZ as a destination benefits Qantas more than anyone.TGC was an idea that allowed us to travel all over NZ experiencing the best NZ has to offer and showcase it daily during the RWC via PR and content delivery. Like Qantas TGC has travel and moving people at its core.

As the national carrier and sponsor of the Qantas Wallabies this innovative idea drew attention via PR and content to the airline where we instantly presented retail offers online and via ATL media. Also reaffirms the link between national carrier and team.