The Black Ferns; The Brand

They went from being underdogs of the New Zealand sporting world to national heroes during the Rugby World Cup 2021 last month. Advertising strategist Seth Zwart takes a look at The Black Ferns tournament from an advertisers perspective and what it means for their brand moving forwards.

A year ago I’m not sure many punters would have predicted a Black Ferns World Cup victory, let alone the impact it would have on the nation. Over 1.2m Kiwis (5+) watched the match and pre / post game commentary on Three alone, according to Nielsen, with additional viewers streaming on ThreeNow and across Spark Sport. Now that the dust has settled, and before we move completely into Football World Cup mode; what can we take from the result, what does it mean for Women’s sport in New Zealand, and how is it relevant to advertising?.

The Cultural Codes:
Firstly, kudos to the TRA as they seem to have been on the money with their cultural codes; Success has to be earned and there’s absolutely no doubt that it was for the unexpected victors. On top of ‘earned success’, the team and some individuals in particular, expressed their ‘Individuality’ across multiple platforms throughout the tournament in a way we’ve rarely seen from high profile Kiwis; Propelling herself into the same realm as Peter Jackson and his jandals, Ruby Tui and her Eden Park sing-along struck a chord with middle earth. Finally, there’s no doubt ‘social equivalence’ played it’s part as an undercurrent during the tournament; the nation knew this was more than a game, men and women flocked.

The Multi Channel Approach:
Sponsors rallied around the event creating more noise and hype. Social channels proved they can assist in building a brand. Undoubtedly, the campaign highlighted the power of authentic social content and how powerful it can be running alongside more traditional channels. If social media was the jewel in the Crown, Linear TV was the Crown; Three’s coverage propelled the games into Kiwi’s living rooms like a rolling English maul. We watched the pre game and the post game and still wanted more. Local or ‘event’ content is a clear differentiator from global competitors like Netflix in its ability to bring people together in the ‘traditional’ living room.

The Brand:

The story of the Black Ferns is now a compelling argument to prove the power of a great brand. The personalities seemed to take on a life of their own whilst still tying back to the ‘master brand’. Effective brand personality humanizes a brand, and the Black Ferns brand oozes personality; Like a gorilla playing the drums, you can’t help but engage. Passionate and determined but most importantly, authentic! How many times have brands got this wrong? Sometimes catastrophically. *Cough, Kendall Jenner and Pepsi*

Without intending it, this personality will be forever woven into the fabric of the brand’s DNA, into the jersey. It’s a part of who they are now and any deviation will leave fans confused. Like all great brands, they should hold the course.

This thought for me, is the real launchpad from which we can catapult women’s sport, in fact any sport in New Zealand. It’s about the players. Knowing our sports stars creates unparalleled interest; we feel connected to the game in a way that’s about more than the gameplay itself. It’s about the people and the personalities. If you feel connected to a sportsperson, you’re connected to the sport they play. Just like the Black Ferns brand, every brand needs a personality; to make it more human, so more human’s make it theirs.

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