Three Rugby World Cup 2015 campaigns, AMV BBDO’s #madeofmore, Essentially’s #ScrumTogether and VCCP’s Make Them Giants for #weartherose, rewrite what it means to be a man.
Rugby has always been the defining game of ‘real men’. And that has always meant that it’s a game in which “ferocious warriors” show their courage, aggression, strength…and ability to withstand pain.
In the UK this year, three Rugby World Cup campaigns – AMV BBDO’s #madeofmore, Essentially’s #ScrumTogether and VCCP’s Make Them Giants for #weartherose – are rewriting what it means to be a real man.
In sports agency, Essentially’s, #ScrumTogether for Dove Men + Care, identical twin creatives Fiona and Sophie Clark explore “What Makes a Man Stronger,” in the style of the emotive poem, If, that Rudyard Kipling wrote as advice for his son.
In AMV BBDO’s #madeofmore for Guinness, there are two subjects, Gareth Thomas, the former Wales captain who came out as gay in 2009 and Ashwin Willemse, who escaped South Africa’s gang life by playing rugby.
Guinness’ themes, feeling secure about who you are and being your best self, are a long way from the brute aggression that dominates ‘manhood’ in traditional rugby campaigns.
“Living a lie, that’s what became really confusing. Three million people of the nation. All wanting to be captain of Wales. All wanting to be me, yet me wanting to be any one of them,” Thomas stated about his life as a player hiding his homosexuality.
“I am very proud about my rugby playing career, but I am more proud of the fact that my teammates supported me to play rugby being Gareth Thomas, being the person that I am, 100%.”
“Where I grew up, you have gangsters cruising the streets, hoping to find the next potential victim. And I was the [kind of] people that they preyed on: young, come out of a fatherless home, a lack of self-confidence. I tumbled headfirst into all the trappings that world had to offer,” Willemse recounted.
“Without rugby, and the incredible support of my teammates and family, I most probably would have ended up either in prison or in a coffin six-foot under. What they taught me is that we can defy the odds.”
The two 60 second spots are running on TV and in cinemas in the UK. Each also has a longer film, running on social media.
Creative credits:
Creative agency: AMV BBDO
Creative director: Dave Buchanan
Copywriter: Mike Crowe (Gareth); Toby Allen (Ashwin)
Art director: Rob Messeter (Gareth); Jim Hilson (Ashwin)
Planner: Steve Hopkins
Agency production: Nick Godden & Jess Tranfield
Production Company: Stink
Producer: Malachy McAnenny
Director: John Hillcoat
Music supervision: Radford Music
Audio post production: 750MPH
Editing: Trim Editing
Post production: MPC
