The latest instalment of AAMI to the Rescue transforms this year’s missing Grand Final match ball into an out-of-this-world, stadium-wide rescue mission, featuring a special appearance from Australian icon Kylie Minogue.

AAMI To the Rescue began in 2022 during the 2022 Toyota AFL Grand Final, combining stunt and content, and featuring a storyline about retrieving a missing match ball just in time for the opening bounce. It was developed to blur the traditional boundaries between marketing, entertainment and sport while reinforcing the brand’s long-standing Lucky you’re with AAMI proposition.

And entertain it does – with clever cameos, self-aware wit, and surprising bursts of humour. At this year’s, it also had star power, featuring Kylie Minogue. The activation was developed in collaboration with WPP Media OpenEra, bringing together AAMI’s AFL partnership, the Seven Network broadcast and fans.

It all began when the wrong button was accidentally pressed in the stadium’s scoreboard control room, launching the match ball “supernova” inside the MCG. What follows was a fast-paced rescue mission through the stadium to deliver the ball back to centre stage ready for the first bounce of the game.

After a series of high-profile cameos, footy references and near misses, the ball was finally stopped by Kylie Minogue in a red heel – a fittingly lucky ending as Kylie hands the ball to the AAMI Woman before delivering the line,  ‘I should be so lucky”, bringing the rescue to a close and allowing the Grand Final to begin.

“What started as a simple rescue mission for the AFL ball five years ago has become a much-loved part of Grand Final day, with fans now looking forward to seeing how AAMI will surprise them each year,” stated Mim Haysom, executive general manager brand and customer experience, Suncorp. “This year’s rescue is our biggest and boldest yet. Bringing together footy, humour, spectacular storytelling and Australian icon Kylie Minogue has allowed us to create a truly memorable moment that celebrates the excitement of the AFL Grand Final while remaining unmistakably AAMI.”

Kylie Minogue is joined in the accompanying content by Australian NBA basketball player, Dyson Daniels; comedian, Broden Kelly; AFL CEO, Andrew Dillon; and a raft of current and past AFL and AFLW players including Gary Ablett Jr, Sam Docherty, Kane Corne, Darcy Moore, Darcy Vescio and Mon Conti.

A teaser campaign ran throughout the week leading into the Grand Final to build suspense, with clips and promotional content running across Uber, Vinyl Media, broadcast TV and social during Grand Final week ahead of the hero stunt, that aired just before kick-off, 2.30pm on Saturday, September 26.

Celia Blackwood, client managing director at WPP Media OpenEra, stated, “The AFL Grand Final is one of the few moments that truly captures the attention of the nation, and our role was to help AAMI turn that attention into something people would actively want to watch, share and talk about. By bringing together partnership rights, broadcast integration, talent, content and the live stadium environment, we were able to create a connected brand experience that feels less like advertising and more like a genuine part of the Grand Final spectacle. It’s a great example of how we help clients create culturally relevant moments that build fame, drive engagement and deliver impact at scale.”

Katie Finney, Seven Network director of sales, television and streaming, added, “The moments immediately before the first bounce carry enormous excitement and anticipation. This integration has been designed specifically for that environment, bringing the broadcast and the stadium experience together to give fans an entertaining final moment before the game begins.”

WPP Media OpenEra worked with WPP Media Sport & Entertainment, to support the strategy, planning and delivery of the activation, helping translate AAMI’s partnership rights and available broadcast and in-stadium opportunities into one integrated campaign moment. The hero content was produced by Whooshka Media, with the broader activation involving teams from AAMI, WPP Media Sport & Entertainment, the Seven Network and the AFL.

Credits:
Client: Suncorp
Executive General Manager: Mim Haysom  
Head of Brand and Content: Rapthi Thanapalasingam 
Executive Manager, Sponsorships and Community : Jenny Hutchison
Marketing Manager: Julia Reimnitz 
Content Lead: Angie Moore
Sponsorship Manager: Gabrielle Emmett
Marketing Specialist: Breanna Webster  
Sponsorship Specialist: Susie Turner  

Agency: Open Era with WPP Sport & Entertainment
Partnerships Group Director: Jayden Harris
Partnerships Manager: Nick Garrick
Managing Director: Celia Blackwood
Investment & Activation Director: Nandini C Saigal
Connections Planning Group Director: Michaella Williams
Media Partner: Seven Network:
Brand Content & Integration Manager – AAMI Lead: Isabelle Davies
Sydney Head of Sport Sales: Peta McMurray
Brand Content & Integration Senior Manager – AFL Lead: Catherine Dingli
Head of AFL and Sport Innovation: Gary O’Keeffe

Production Company: Whooshka Media
Managing Director: Adrian Brown
Director: Paddy Mithen
Producer: Jodie Fisher
Production Managers: Liberty Paschke & Sarah Cameron
1st AD: Eddie Thorn 
Editor: Jamie Merendino
DOP: Ben Blennerhassett
Production Design: Francesca Carey

Lighting: Film Star Lighting
Sound Design: Ripon Productions
VFX: ISDK Films & The Bureau
Colourist: Daniel Witt @ Moodlab

Campaign Partner: AFL
Senior Partnerships Account Manager, AFL: Rachelle Cain