Broadcast across seven Asia-Pacific countries, crossing liberal western nations, conservative Islamic cultures, and government-regulated media; the campaign needed to not only find a hook through a universal human truth that transcended culture, religion and local frames of reference, but also translate (literally) into different languages – maintaining impact.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, tight restrictions exist around commercial content, ensuring cultural and Islamic sensitivities are observed. Malaysian media required MIM certification prior to distribution.

China’s government places strict controls over all content generated by western brands. Especially close scrutiny is applied to content that’s inherently entertainment-based, compared to the bank’s usual product or brand communications.

Content aired on Australian and New Zealand television requires CAD pre-approvals, while national advertising and community standards are monitored by each channel’s own regulatory body upon distribution.

While paid branded content integration is not uncommon in Australian media, the ability to drive added value is determined not by spend, but on quality of the content and subsequent value it adds to the broadcasters own product. Despite competition against major sponsor brands also using branded content platforms, ANZ secured 3 times the number of integration spots it has in previous years.

Our task was to develop a sponsorship activation strategy to leverage ANZ’s tennis assets across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Objectives: Shift brand perceptions and increase purchase intent of non-ANZ customers for key banking products.

The audience was challenging in its diversity. We needed a single idea that would resonate across:

• seven markets and multiple languages

• vastly different cultures and mindsets

• core and casual tennis fans

• two properties; Australian Open and Shanghai Masters

The strategy was based on our consumer, sport and brand insights. Research showed us that these segments shared a proactive, ‘entrepreneurial mindset’; creating their own opportunities and ‘playing the game’ their way – in tennis, and life.

The idea – ‘Your Game. Your Way.’ – was a short-format documentary series launched through ANZ’s owned social and digital channels.

A six-week regional media program spanning seven countries supported the program, with TV, digital, outdoor, transit, retail, PR & radio executions rolled out.

Whilst media drove awareness and click-throughs, it was the subject's in the stories, the final treatment, and intrigue built around the short films that produced the campaign’s success and social-media impact.

Despite having signed the world’s #1 player, Novak Djokovic, we actively made the daring decision to turn the camera the other way. Instead sharing stories of real people, told in their own words.

Across three 2-minute films we told stories of; a deaf Korean teen trying to make it as a pro, a Chinese-American legend of tennis who did things his own way, and a young girl battling unique barriers in a remote Australian township.

Novak in turn became part curator, part ‘ambassador’ who heralded the stories of others. His face drove cut-through across all static creative and maximised our international PR and social media reach.

The use of the world’s #1 tennis player was our initial hook to grab the attention of fans right across the region. His universal appeal ensued that we quickly grabbed the attention of a very diverse audience across seven countries and various cultural backgrounds.

A single minded creative idea “Those who create opportunity, succeed” was then brought to life through real stories, of real people. By telling our stories through our audiences shared passion for tennis, we ensured this attention was maintained and allowed us the opportunity to land the clients’ brand message.

Key Result: Non-customers aware of ANZ’s Tennis Sponsorship recorded 250% higher purchase intent for ANZ Personal Loans (and averaged 173% higher across all banking products) Source: Ipsos Report 04.03.2015.

Content:

• 10% year-on-year increase in video completions

• 300% year-on-year increase in digital reach and impressions (10 times higher than ANZ norm)

• 800% year-on-year increase in social media reach

• >1 million views

Social:

• #yourgameyourway trended during the men’s final (rare for a sponsor during a global sporting event)

• #yourgameyourway generated 10% organic reach (5 times industry standard)

• >5% engagement across Facebook and Twitter (10 times ANZ benchmark)

• 85% positive sentiment across social media (uncommon for the banking sector, typically consumer ‘punching bags’ online)

TV:

• 496% ROI above $ investment ($12M value from $2M spend)

• 58 pieces of content integrated via the official Australian broadcaster – 3 times 2014 results

Sponsorship:

• ANZ scored #1 unprompted sponsor recall - 25% above the bigger-spending Naming Rights Partner - KIA - in #2)

• Of Novak Djokovic’s brand partnerships, ANZ scored highest recall at 33% (beating out all his longer term sponsors including Seiko and Adidas (who ranked #2 with just 15%)

ANZ bank’s tennis partnerships and ambassador, world #1 Novak Djokovic, provided the ingredients needed to engage a huge regional audience.

Three 2-minute documentary style films successfully tapped into a shared mindset to harness fan passion across cultures. These were broadcast through ANZ’s owned social and digital channels.

Yet, rather than put the spotlight on Novak we turned the camera on the audience.

It worked.

Fans were invited to click-through and “be inspired”, entertained and informed, via static and video-based creative executions that ran across a region-wide media program including; TV, digital, outdoor, retail, PR & radio.

So compelling were the films at uniting the brand with the fan mindset, we were asked to produce 30-second versions for use in the bank’s planned TV media schedule.

Staying true to the format – with real people telling their stories, in their own words – ultimately made the campaign both entertaining and successful for the bank.