M.J.BALE: M.J BALE GRAZED ON GREATNESS

Credits & Description:

Type of entry: Product & Service
Category: Other Consumer Products (including Durable Goods)
Advertiser: M.J.BALE
Product/Service: AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM SPONSORSHIP
Agency: WHYBIN\TBWA\TEQUILA SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Entrant WHYBIN\TBWA\TEQUILA SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Title: M.J BALE GRAZED ON GREATNESS
Entrant Company: WHYBIN\TBWA\TEQUILA SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
DM/Advertising Agency: WHYBIN\TBWA\TEQUILA SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Chief Executive Officer: Paul Bradbury (Whybin\TBWA\ Tequila Sydney)
Executive Creative Director: Dave Bowman (Whybin\TBWA\ Tequila Sydney)
Executive Creative Director: Matty Burton (Whybin\TBWA\ Tequila Sydney)
Creative Director: John McKelvey (Whybin\TBWA\ Tequila Sydney)
Creative Director: Peter Galmes (Whybin\TBWA\ Tequila Sydney)
Director: Stephen Oliver ()
Post Production: (Method Studios)
Music/Sound: (Nylon Studios)
Photographer: Gerrard Needham ()
Director Of Photography: Hugh Miller ()
Describe the brief from the client
M.J.Bale is a relatively new men’s fashion brand in Australia. Having spent almost the entire marketing budget on a sponsorship of the Australian Cricket Team, becoming the team’s Official Tailors, our task was to raise awareness and attract new customers with the limited, remaining budget.
We targeted journalists and opinion-leaders, recruiting their support to help convert cricket fans into our customers. We also targeted our existing customers to drive sales.
Our strategy was to leverage the smallest sponsorship by revolutionising how we make our range, infusing it with Australian victory.
*National awareness was vital to expand into more outlets.

Creative Execution

Instead of simply using a sponsorship to put our product alongside sports-people, we created a product that was actually desired by them and their many fans. It was the first time a sponsor of the Australian Cricket Team had ever changed its product to support the team and the unique approach was much loved by the Australian media.
Like all fine things, a suit is designed to make the wearer look and feel good. Never before has a suit been made to make anyone feel like more of a winner. This flat mailer allowed M.J. Bale’s customers to own these historic suits first – as worn by the Australian Cricket Team.


Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We found the oval where the Australian Cricket Team had most victories, the Sydney Cricket Ground. We then took grass from there, replanting it on a Merino sheep farm. We fed this grass to our sheep, sheared them and with their wool, now infused with victory, hand-crafted suits for the team.
We sent ties made from the wool to players, journalists and opinion leaders, asking them to seed our content, in turn generating PR encouraging the big retailers to stock us. We sent our existing customers real grass seeds from the SCG inviting them to own the range before releasing to the public.


Describe the results in as much detail as possible.

‘Grazed on Greatness’ direct mail had an incredible response.
Directly spiking in-store traffic and sales to an all-time high.
Tailored suit orders up 520%.