QANTAS: BOOTS & DREAMS

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW

While Qantas is the official airline partner of the AFL and the major sponsor of the AFL’s Indigenous Programs, they are dramatically outspent by other AFL sponsors in a market that is highly cluttered with over 30 sponsors.
How do we possibly cut through with two press ads?

The Answer:
Don’t do two print ads.
Instead we used the players’ boots as ads.
We asked the AFL’s leading Indigenous players to donate their actual playing boots.
The boots were then painted by prominent Indigenous artists. Each pair used the team colours in a unique, but traditional Indigenous style.
With the finished boots we created the ‘Qantas Boots & Dreams Exhibition’.
The exhibition launched in one of Australia’s most prestigious galleries, appeared in Qantas terminals, and also in a popular online gallery at
afl.com.au/qantasboots.
Then it went on to tour the country.

The results were incredible. Over 450,000 people viewed the exhibition.

Over 2,000 site visits were achieved with no paid media (33% increase on objective) with an average time on site of five and a half minutes.

The exhibition appeared in Sports TV shows, live TV crosses and AFL game broadcasts, delivering $705,000 earned media value.

What was a $200 pair of football boots sold for $5,800 - over $20,000 was raised.

"The campaign was a terrific success, highlighting Qantas' significant support of both Indigenous AFL and Indigenous communities across Australia" said Lewis Pullen, Qantas executive manager of marketing.

The exhibition also attracted the attention of two of AFL's biggest personalities. Lance 'Buddy' Franklin loved the design of his boots so much he requested another pair be painted which he then wore in Hawthorn's stunning MCG victory over Carlton on May 23rd. Collingwood Football Club had previously declined to participate due to a club sponsor conflict however within one week of the exhibition's launch Club President and Channel Nine personality Eddie McGuire made a personal request to Alan Joyce that a pair of Leon Davis' boots to be added the exhibition.

AWARDS:
CAPLES
• 1x INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN

ADMA 2010
• 1x BRONZE Creative Award

ADMA 2010
• 1x BRONZE Effectiveness Awards