Created by Amsterdam agency 180 and TBWA\, the self portraits were fashioned by getting the rugby stars from England, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland to cover themselves in acrylic paint and then hit canvas-wrapped tackle bags.
The "prints" are also being used for everything from a "takeover" of London's Piccadilly Circus tube station and oversized executions slated for posting on Great Eastern Street, to print ads and postcards.
The TV, poster and print campaign breaks in late September 2003 and will run throughout the World Cup in six countries, including England, Ireland, France, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
The impressions created by the players were then framed and turned into a one-of-a-kind art exhibition. The exhibition will be unveiled on October 7 in Dublin at the Guinness Store House.
The canvasses will also travel throughout New Zealand during this year's World Cup, which is being held in Australia, and a digital version will be available for viewing at the Adidas .
The player's impressions also provided the inspiration for a poster campaign focusing on 14 of rugby's elite players. Each poster sports a different headline offering an insight on an aspect of each player's performance that a fan, teammate or rival would respect.
Wilkinson's poster carries the line "There's only one way to match him. Cloning", the one featuring Lomu reads "He's the speed. You're the bump", while Johnson's one says "If you don't go in hard it's not a tackle, it's an insult".
The campaign was created by executive creative director Peter McHugh; creative director Andy Fackrell; art director Stuart Brown; copywriters Peter McHugh, Giles Montgomery, Brad Roseberry (print) and Richard Bullock (TV).
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