TAB is a Melbourne Cup tradition. But it has competitors now. M&C Saatchi has been given the job of making sure that TAB retains its place as Australia’s “legendary” betting company.

The agency is doing that with some “legendary” sporting history – Bob Hawke’s advice for Aussie bosses after Australia took home the 1983 America’s Cup, to Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup and the miracle Queensland State of Origin team try in 1994, for example. TAB was there for all of these moments, that brought Australian together to celebrate.

Pay attention to the exceptional “spotlighting” direction/art direction that makes this commercial stand out, while it underpins the importance of the film’s sporting moments.

M&C Saatchi is launching a 90-second television commercial on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival that pays tribute to some of the most memorable and iconic moments in Australian racing and sport. The spot becomes the spearhead of the Long May We Play brand platform which began rolling out in September. 60-, 30- and 15-second cut downs of the spot will also appear in the coming weeks.

Tabcorp executive general manager marketing, customer & product, Luke Waldren, commented, “TAB understands the role racing and sport play in Australian life, and long may it continue. In this spot, we salute some of the most epic moments that have transcended time and culture in our country. It’s these moments that matter to TAB and we love nothing more than celebrating them with our customers, particularly at this time of year. It’s when millions of Australians will connect with TAB at the track, online, or in one of our venues and cheer home the winner of the race that stops the nation. This is category-breaking work and something we are excited to share.”

M&C Saatchi chief creative officer, Cam Blackley, added, “Long May We Play is really about the power of connection, be it a small fan insight or a moment of Australian sporting folklore that becomes part of our identity. With the latest work, we wanted to bring fans those iconic Aussie moments from an angle they’ve never seen before and remind them about the power of racing and sport to bring us together.”

Credits

Agency: M&C Saatchi
Chief Creative Officer: Cam Blackley
Creative Director: Guy Futcher
Head of Art: Chris Cheeseman
Senior Copywriters: Michael Harris & Roy Leibowitz
Senior Art Directors: Neil Walshe & Chris Wilson
Chief Strategy Officer: Justin Graham
Senior Strategy Director: Nick Jacobs
Group Managing Director: Russell Hopson
Group Account Director: Jasmina Porter
Senior Account Director: Will Woods
Senior TV Producer: Karen Muxworthy

Production Company: Revolver
Director: Bruce Hunt
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer: Pip Smart
Producer: Sarah Nichols
DOP: Simon Duggan

Editor: Joanna Scott
Colourist: Justin Bromley
Post Production: Arc Edit & Fin Design
Music: Daniel McCormick
Audio House: Rumble Studios

Media: OMD

Client: TAB
EGM Marketing, Customer & Product: Luke Waldren
Head of Brand & Marketing: Kent Madders
General Manager of Media & Sponsorship: John Vellis
Senior Marketing Manager, Brand: Jonathon Rhydderch