Meadow Fresh and McCann NZ unveil Fantasy League for Cows

New Zealand is taking fantasy sports to a whole new level with a league only Kiwi could dream up: Meadow Fresh Fantasy Herd.

It’s believed to be the world’s first fantasy sports league powered by real cows.

Created for Meadow Fresh by McCann New Zealand (formerly DDB Aotearoa), the game lets players draft real cows, score points from farm and milking shed data, and compete for a $ 20,000 top prize. 

Just like fantasy football, which relies on real athlete stats, Fantasy Herd draws on actual milking outputs and behavioural data collected from the herd at Nottingham Dairy Farm in North Otago. 

Players will be able to select their own line ups, drafting real cows from a 500-strong herd. The cows, like Spotty Pippen, Phillipa Tanker and Pasture Shredder, each wear a solar-powered smart collar from New Zealand ag-tech company Halter.   

National launch during Super Bowl LX

In a broadcast partnership with Together and with TVNZ, Meadow Fresh Fantasy Herd launched nationally during the Super Bowl LX halftime broadcast on TVNZ1.

The launch is also supported by a full broadcast sponsorship exclusive to Meadow Fresh, alongside teaser content co-created with TVNZ marketing team and weekly updates airing during the 1News sport segment. 

“On the surface, Fantasy Herd is playful and fun, but underneath the banter is a bigger purpose,” says McCann New Zealand chief creative officer Gary Steele.

“Dairy remains one of New Zealand’s most important industries, yet most people only ever see the finished product. Fantasy Herd uses genuine data and Kiwi humour to show the care, innovation and technology behind modern dairy.”

Celebrating modern dairy

Meadow Fresh marketing manager Jen Jones says the aim is to bring dairy farming into popular culture in a way that feels unexpected and entertaining.   

“Fantasy Herd celebrates modern dairy, it’s high-tech, competitive, and a bit cheeky. Partnering with TVNZ and launching during the Super Bowl created a shared national moment, turning a global sporting event into something uniquely Kiwi.”

Together client principal Jess May says the partnership behind Fantasy Herd showcases Together’s creative bravery in media.

“Local NZ partnerships are at the heart of the campaign, including a deep collaboration with TVNZ – spanning cobranded launch assets, a live-cross 3-minute halftime takeover and TVNZ+ audience engagement – alongside locally backed integrations such as the travelling fanzone with MediaWorks and weekly updates on The Crowd Goes Wild. We can’t wait for the world to see it!”

Appreciating great milk

North Otago farmer Tim Richards, whose cows star in the game, says the idea is resonating on-farm as well.  

“The cows don’t know they’re athletes yet, but we’re already debating who should be captain,” Richards said. “If a bit of friendly competition helps people appreciate the work that goes into producing great milk, that’s a win.” 

Draft Week opened February 9, one week ahead of the first competition round, giving players time to study the stats, build their herds, select a captain cow and join leagues.

After six rounds, the highest-scoring herder will be crowned Fantasy Herd Champion and take home $ 20,000.

Client credits:

Danielle Dyson – head of marketing, Dairy

Jen Jones – Meadow Fresh marketing manager

Harriet Munro – Meadow Fresh brand manager

Michelle Petry – category activation manager – Dairy 

Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand 

Film Company: Sweetshop New Zealand + The Gardening Club 

Media Agency: Together

PR Agency: Mango Communications

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