Toyota New Zealand has turned All Blacks and Black Ferns tries into a new source of grassroots funding. In the idea, created by Saatchi & Saatchi NZ with Spark Foundry NZ, Digitas NZ and Sky Sport, 40 grassroots rugby clubs are randomly allocated to digital zones across the try zone before every test match. Every time the All Blacks or Black Ferns score a try in a club’s zone, Toyota awards that club a NZ$2,000 grant. If multiple tries are scored in the same zone, the funding keeps growing, with each try triggering an additional NZ$2,000 grant.

The campaign, Grounded Grants, is built on Toyota’s partnership with New Zealand Rugby. It turns every international try into support for grassroots clubs, creating a live funding platform that connects rugby’s biggest moments with the communities where it all begins.

Susanne Hardy, assistant vice president: marketing, sustainability & technology at Toyota New Zealand, stated, “Toyota has always believed in backing the communities that help New Zealand thrive, and few things bring Kiwis together quite like rugby. Grounded Grants turns the passion, pride and excitement of game day into meaningful support for the grassroots clubs powered by volunteers, families and supporters who keep the game strong for future generations.”

Grounded Grants launched during the first three matches of the Nations Championship, attracting entries from more than 70% of New Zealand’s grassroots rugby clubs. It will continue throughout the Bledisloe Cup and Black Ferns home games, with thousands of dollars expected to flow back into grassroots rugby clubs across Aotearoa.

Lee Sunter, group executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, commented, “Every All Blacks and Black Ferns try is celebrated across the country. Grounded Grants creates a new way to turn those moments into support for the clubs and communities across Aotearoa where it all started. It took a huge amount of trust, passion and expertise across Publicis Groupe and Toyota to bring an idea like this to life and deliver it live and at scale. We also had a hell of a lot of fun making it.”

The grassroots clubs benefiting from Grounded Grants will be revealed live during Sky Sport broadcasts using VizRT technology, allowing fans to see the impact of each try as the action unfolds.

Kathryn Allemann, Sky Brand partnerships manager – sport, stated, “This is a great example of how broadcast innovation can add an extra layer to the viewing experience. Using real-time 3D graphics via VizRT technology allows us to reveal the winning clubs and brings fans closer to the impact of each try, while helping shine a light on grassroots rugby communities across New Zealand.”

Spark Foundry NZ led media strategy, anchoring the campaign within high-attention broadcast environments; a call for entries through Sky Studio and later at match time, with a live in-game broadcast integration supporting the broadcast sponsorship. The initiative is also being promoted on digital channels across Toyota, New Zealand Rugby and Sky Sport and Crowd Goes Wild to generate entries and create awareness.

Digitas NZ developed the integrated web and CRM experience behind Toyota Grounded Grants, helping connect grassroots rugby clubs across New Zealand to the funding platform. The connected experience makes it easy for clubs to register, while giving supporters and local communities a central destination to follow the action and celebrate successful recipients.

Credits
Client: Toyota New Zealand
Susanne Hardy: Assistant Vice President – Marketing Sustainability & Technology, Executive
Jamie How: Senior Manager, Marketing
Sarah B Griffin: Senior Sponsorships & Partnerships Specialist, Marketing
Nick Cowan: Talent & Ambassador Specialist
Sarah Dance: Sports Marketing Specialist

Client: New Zealand Rugby
Olivia Duff: Senior Partnership Manager

Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi NZ
Steve Cochran: Creative Chair 
Lee Sunter: Group Executive Creative Director
Connyr Atiga & Cain Duff: Senior Creatives
Milla Mihaljevich: Creative
Shiv Narandas: Design Director
Laura Cooper & Talia Schofield: Designers
Nick Browne: Retoucher
Gabrielle Pezaro: Creative Service Manager
Jane Mill: Executive Agency Producer
Grace Roddick: Producer
Tracy Powell: Head of Post Production
Tim Cullinane: Head of Connected Strategy
Annabel Rees: General Manager
Maxime Lahaye: Business Director
Jeannie Grace: Business Manager

Media Agency: Spark Foundry NZ
Digital Agency: Digitas NZ