RWC ‘21 Sonic Trophy | Mastercard
New Zealanders are big fans of rugby. Yet, despite being more successful and winning more World Cups, their women's team just doesn't get the same recognition as the men’s.
To help amplify women’s rugby in New Zealand for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021, Mastercard tapped into another aspect the country is proud of — their Māori culture — and created a memento that honoured the most powerful figure in the community and gave a voice to the women’s game.
In Māori culture, history is passed down through story and song –
by the kaikaranga, the ceremonial caller, and the most powerful voice in the community.
We worked with renowned Māori artist Nichola Te Kiri, to design a trophy that would echo how the Māori pass on information – through the voices of people that witnessed the game. Its swooping form mirrored how the Kaikaranga wears her cloak – its aesthetic contours designed to amplify each note. The trophy design also included Māori elements that told the story of the tournament.
Every trophy contained the live emotions and sounds of the match – young female superfans’ passionate voices, play-by-play broadcast commentary, and the electric energy of the stadium. Each sound was captured live and mixed in real-time at the Mastercard Sonic Studio.
Over 2,080 minutes of gameplay was captured across five weeks, edited into bespoke soundtracks, and embedded into 26 trophies. Each trophy was gifted to every “Player of the Match,” minutes after the final whistle, as a priceless memory.
Results
60.8M
Impressions
$460.2K
Earned Media Value
42M
Reach
+78%
Increased their belief that
Mastercard is an innovative brand
Tripled
the perception that Mastercard
are accelerating women’s sports
But this campaign wasn’t just about the numbers; the accountability that comes from visibility
will continue to grow the game, and be the legacy for years to come.
Credits:
For Octagon
Lizi Hamer (Executive Creative Director)
Vanessa Tan (Creative Director)
Alessia Ferrier (Senior Art Director)
André Alcantara (Art Director)
Neil Sura (Planning Director)
Louise Ferguson (Client Services Director)
Jessica Ramsey (Account Director)
Aaron Klos (Account Manager)
Made by Doing (Production)
bigfish (Production)
Metal:
Winner, Design - Innovation, The Drum Awards Global 2023
Winner, Creativity - Design, The Drum Awards Global 2023
Gold, Innovation - Medium Innovation, Clios Sport 2023
Silver, Branded Content - Audio, Clios Sport 2023
Silver, Design & Design / Activation Design, Clios Sport 2023
Bronze, Partnerships & Sponsorships - Brand, Clios Sport 2023
Shortlist, Branded Content - Partnerships, Clios Sport 2023
Winner, Experiential Marketing, AMI Marketing Excellence Awards 2023
Winner, Best Use of Sponsorship in a Single Campaign, Mumbrella Awards for Sport 2023
Winner, best On-Ground Activation, Mumbrella Awards for Sport 2023
Winner, Jury Chairman’s Choice, The Drum Awards APAC 2023
Winner, Design, The Drum Awards APAC 2023
Winner, Best Use of Tech, The Drum Awards APAC 2023
Winner, Innovation, The Drum Awards APAC 2023
Winner, Partnership or Collaboration, The Drum Awards APAC 2023
Winner, Brand of the Year, The Drum Awards APAC 2023
Shortlist, Entertainment - Innovation in Branded Content, Spikes Asia 2023
Shortlist, Digital Craft - Music / Sound Design, Spikes Asia 2023