State of Origin, aka “Australian sport’s greatest rivalry”, is a fierce best-of-three rugby league competition between warring Australian states, New South Wales and Queensland featuring hand-picked players from NRL (National Rugby League) teams.
This year, Victoria Bitter, the official beer sponsor of State of Origin, and Akcelo have developed Very Bitter Tissuse, specially boxed tissues to stir the state vs state banter ahead of this year’s series.
The campaign leans into the competitive interstate spirit of Origin, giving fans a new way to fuel the rivalry and have a laugh by gifting a box of VB tissues to friends on the losing side. Each pack features half-NSW, half-QLD colours, classic one-liners such as “Sorry for your loss”, “You tried your best,” and “Chin up, Champ”, plus a lid that doubles as a beer coaster.
Fans aged 18+ can pre-register their interest at vb.com.au/tissues and nominate their team. When the final siren sounds after Origin Games 1 and 2, those who had pre-registered and picked the winning team will receive an email to order their free box of VB’s Very Bitter Tissues – with limited stock meaning they’re unlikely to last until game 3.
The idea is backed by former Origin greats, Bryan Fletcher (NSW) and Mat Rogers (QLD), who are helping to dial up the rivalry in the lead-up to Game One through PR and social content. The pair are filmed sharing a VB at the pub and trading jabs over who’s coming out on top – and who’ll be needing a box of tissues. Their banter will continue across social media in the lead-up to Games 1 and 2.
Jon Kenyon, managing partner at Akcelo, stated, “The banter between states is such a big part of what makes State of Origin exciting, and Very Bitter Tissues was a great opportunity to tap into that fandom in a uniquely VB way. It’s a simple, cheeky idea that gave us room to play with the brand’s personality, and we’ve loved bringing it to life alongside the team at VB.”
Tessa Whittaker, marketing manager at Victoria Bitter, added, “Victoria Bitter is proudly the official beer of State of Origin and we are all about rewarding the hard work on the field. But once the siren sounds we want to give our drinkers a chance to have a laugh, and that’s what Very Bitter Tissues will do.”
The campaign is rolling out across Australia, supported by talent, PR and social activity, with pre-registrations now open ahead of Game Day on May 28.
Credits:
Client: Asahi Beverages Australia
General Manager Brand & Portfolio: Lauren Fildes
Head of Beer: Ben Eyles
Marketing Manager Victoria Bitter: Tessa Whittaker
1House (in house agency) Group Brand Partner: Rachel Linacre
Social Content Creator: Jack Gruber
Senior Digital Products Manager: Zach Mackey
Consumer Data & CRM Manager: Gianna Blundo
Digital Designer: Flora Anderson-Cleary
Creative Agency: Akcelo
CEO: Aden Hepburn
Managing Partner: Jon Kenyon
Brand Strategy Partner: Simon McCrudden
Global Client Partner: Lauren Shelley
Group Creative Director: Louise McQuat
Creative Team: Rob Gordon, Brandon Piggott
Senior Account Director: Lucy West
Director – Events & Activations: Britt King
Producer: Dan Burns
Senior Designer: Richard Spencer
Production Company: Reel Focus
Production Team: Paul Powers, Warren Yee, Liam Clark
Tissue Box Production: Total Print Control
Production Manager: Matthew Burrell
