It’s footy season in Australia and with a lot of attention on its rugby rival, the NRL, with its Las Vegas spectacular, the AFL is reaching out to new, younger audiences and inviting them to Get in on it with a youth-magnet approach to football advertising by 72andSunny and production company, Good Oil.
The agency has packed its hero film with AFL traditions, artifacts, rituals and moments they want fans, new and old, to deep dive into – from pigeon interference to scarf mainies, legendary speccys and Irish invitations. The new brand platform presents the richness of AFL fandom that aims to engage with non-football fans, while celebrating what makes AFL great.
The campaign also recruited Melbourne band, Sleepazoid, to add the power of music to build a connection with young trendsetters and deepen engagement and consideration with fans.
The campaign’s message is simple – Aussie rules is a national game with a national backstory – and it’s time for everyone to get in on it.
AFL executive general manager customer and commercial, Bec Haagsma, commented, “Our game has a history of connecting with people across the country both in its on field heroics or off the field with friends, family and the wider community. So many people that I meet have a story to tell about Aussie rules footy.
“The AFL’s new Get in on it campaign celebrates this tradition in a creative way and shows fans that they can experience the sport through attendance with other fans, or be part of the action, anywhere, anytime – whether it’s at the local pub, from their loungeroom, on socials or even on the catwalk! Once you know a little, you want to know it all and through this campaign, we hope to show people how they can get in on Aussie rules footy for themselves.”
Good Oil director, Madeleine Purdy, added, “Working on a brand like the AFL was a bit of a dream come true. Despite living on the wrong side of the Barassi line, AFL is such a huge part of Australian life. It’s a commonality amongst every demographic there is, and I think that is the sickest thing about footy – cliche or not, it brings people together. I wanted to bring the sport to life in a very out-of-category way. The way that sports fandom exists in the world, but not how it’s usually shown on TV. We also had real fans of every single team in our cast which meant there were a lot of fun little moments on set with people playing up their rivalries or allyship with fellow cast members they’d just met.”
72andSunny chief creative officer, Wez Hawes, commented, “The AFL is steeped in so much folklore, history and fandom, there’s so much to unpack. Especially for a new younger audience who are deep diving and going further than scratching the surface of the things they are passionate about. The rich, graphic tapestry of the launch film is just the beginning of our journey to bring the next generation of Aussies in on it. From how to get a mane like Bailey Smith, to deep diving on why a North Melbourne player is named after a packet of chips.”
The full campaign covers out-of-home, digital and social media channels across the country, with the aim to grow fandom and build hype as the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season kicks off.
