Another partner of the Rugby World Cup was Land Rover, which embraced the tournament for exactly what it was all about – sport. and celebrating the people and clubs at the heart of the game.
Land Rover selected 96 young people from competing nations to act as mascots at games, while 11 amateur clubs from around the world were featured on its website. The brand also toured the Webb Ellis Cup around remote communities in the run up the tournament, yet kicking off all this grassroots activity was an eye-catching stunt on the Thames.
Land Rover floated a giant rugby ball, which carried a bespoke Defender model, down the river. England star Lewis Moody drove the car out of the ball, while fellow player Martin placed the trophy in the vehicle’s integrated cabinet.
Richard Duncan, sponsorship and partnerships manager at Land Rover UK, says the strength of the campaign lay with Land Rover’s 20-year heritage with the sport: "Land Rover and rugby share a number of mutual common traits: determination, integrity and strength of character to name just a few. Combined, these add a credible and compelling message to the campaign, which a wide range of people, not just rugby fans, can appreciate."
Outside of rugby, the brand also activated the We Deal In Real premise at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, which Duncan cites as a "prime opportunity for Land Rover to activate one it its core sponsorship properties". , and debuted three limited-edition Defender models with sand art in Anglesey.
"Moving forward, Land Rover’s ‘We Deal In Real’ campaign will continue, just as its commitment to grassroots rugby will," says Duncan. "A perfect example of this is through the UK based Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, a series of national grassroots rugby festivals for under 11 and under 12 teams across the country."
And it appears as though Land Rover’s love of experiential will also continue, as Duncan explains: "As Rugby World Cup 2015 demonstrated, activation needs to support above and below the line communications, PR, digital and social media activity. This allows consistency of messaging to flourish, as well as engaging people with the campaign via multiple platforms - each offering their own unique and powerful advantages to deliver the We Deal In Real message, as well as offering our customers fantastic experiences."
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