Marketforce and the Fremantle Football Club remind WA that ‘The Best Things in Life are Freo’
Fremantle Football Club’s latest integrated brand campaign celebrates the small (but huge!) moments that true believers know and love around the game-day experience.
The bustling ride in. The pre-game meal. Hanging with mates and soon-to-be-mates on the Matagarup Bridge. Every Freo game has a special feeling for fans, its own spicy blend of anticipatory excitement and getting lost in the purple haze. To celebrate the 2024 season, Fremantle Football Club worked with Marketforce and OMD to create a multifaceted campaign that highlights real footy fans and their relationship to the game.
After undertaking a significant amount of qualitative and quantitative research on core drivers of fan attendance, it was uncovered that while footy is a vehicle to get fans to the stadium, it’s the moments with friends and families that really get them to the game. Multiple creative propositions were tested, with ‘connection/moments’ being universally nominated as the main factor in attendance.
Sarah Sawdon, Head of Marketing and Membership at Fremantle Football Club, said: “Being the 30th year in the AFL, we really wanted to capture and put a spotlight on the true heroes of our Club…our members.”
“There are so many things to love at a Freo game that don’t get talked about. So we really wanted to give these things the attention they deserve and remind people that a day at the footy is about more than just footy.”
OMD created a wide-ranging media rollout for the campaign across film, digital, social, radio and outdoor. To bring this media buy to life, Marketforce’s creative team collaborated with a wide variety of some of WA’s best talent. The film was created with director Luke Hackett for Rhythm Films, with sound design from Cue Sound, radio production from Soundbyte and Luke Carter Wilton crafting some iconic stills of the fan experiences.
PLAY THE RADIO SPOTS BELOW
Luke Williams, Associate Creative Director at Marketforce, had one thing to say: “Go Dockers!”
Credits
Client: Fremantle Football Club
Head of Marketing and Membership: Sarah Sawdon
Brand and Marketing Team Leader: Meghan Maxwell
Graphic Designer: Bailey Gatland
Graphic Designer: Anna Palma
Marketforce
Chief Executive Office: Adam Marshall
Chief Growth Officer: Dixie Marshall
General Manager: Craig Sadler
Account Director/Producer: Joslyn Davies
Associate Creative Director: Luke Williams
Head of Creative: Rikki Burns & Josh Edge
Art Director: Mike Dann
Copywriter: Henry Malkovic
Senior Finished Artist: Ben Mills
OMD
Head of OMD: Brannon Heath
Digital Director: James Porteous
Account Director: Emma Bennett
Senior Performance Manager: Sarabjit Singh
Rhythm Films
Director: Luke Hackett
Executive Producer: Candice Shields
Production Coord: Adam Keogh
DOP: Tim Fitzgerald
1st AC: Brianna Trinidad
Gaffer: Nick Valentini
Art Dept: Clare Ryan
HMUA: Kate Farmer
HMU Assist: Khacee Leevers
Editor: Cal McLean
Sound Design: Nick Gallagher @ Cue Sound
Vehicles c/o Carco Midland
Locations: thanks to Perth Transport Authority, Willing Cafe
Gear: Raz Rentals
Photographer: Luke Carter Wilton
1st Assist: Dan McBride
Radio Production: Brad Habib @ Soundbyte
23 Comments
Thanks so much for the full list of people involved. Great to see.
A refreshing approach to the category. Not a footballer in sight, bravo.
The OOH is lovely. No logos or search terms.
For an ad all about how the “best things in life are Freo”, highlighing the journey to the from the club & supporter heartland to Optus Stadium, it sure seems like an odd choice (and glaring omission) that NONE of this ad seems to feature, or be shot anywhere near, wait for it… FREMANTLE
All the excitement of a Freo home game after 12 straight defeats, and feels more remiscent of a campaign for a slightly spruced up shopping centre. Even the ‘Come down for air’ voice over couldn’t pick up and the ball on this one.
Killer strategy and a perfect tagline.
Not a fan of this. I think it has missed the mark. It feels gloomy and doesn’t inspire any passion. Not sure of the significance of a 6 second shot of a camry driving down the road and then the same car drives past the guy texting? Lost Uber to get the game? No Brownlow votes for me.
At first I thought the film was just another feel good montage, but the scenes connecting gives it a real nice touch.
Giant foam thumbs up from me.
Tagline is fine but the film didn’t evoke much emotion, for me.
This is such wallpaper. How can the WA advertising community applaud this? You lot really need to lift your creative standards
As a long term Freo supporter, this gets me right in the heart. Fantastic strategy and the line is wonderful. Hope this works really hard for the club.
Nice copy 👍
Where is the passion? The excitement? The fun? Feels a little weighed down…
You nailed it. A campaign for Freo fans. Interested to hear if there’s any real strategy at play. Is the club down on members attending games? Is this a new member acquisition strategy? Or an attempt at both?
Testing creative propositions. Gulp.
Nice change of pace for footy. Well done to all.
One more Luke in the sauce and the universe** collides upon itself.
Go Freo
**Little known addendum to Einsteins third law.
As a non-footy fan, I dig this. Love how it shows how supporting your team is so much more than just supporting your team.
All of the energy of a campaign for assisted living.
Zero anticipation. Zero momentum. As a piece of filmmaking it is dull. Sorry. And the outdoor even more dull.
Us Dockers members have developed a particular culture; black humour born of being the eternal underdogs. Freo has something unique to sell. A grit and determination and eternal hope. We want to be there to share the moment when it all comes together. It’s us, together, against the world. Give us your best shot because we’ve heard it all before. Choosing to be a Dockers supporter isn’t the easy choice, but it is so much fun.
This is what the last 30 years has been about. A celebration of this would have been good.
The intention of this piece is good and the insight that it is not just about what happens on the field, but the community that has grown up around it, is also true … however this execution lacks any of tone that is true to to my club.
And the headline (a pun, yes, but not a bad one) set is a sensible corporate serif doesn’t scream FREO and isn’t helping.
is this being applauded so much by the WA advertising community? This is bland and frankly not doing very much. The line is decent and fair enough that it doesn’t feel like a typical footy ad by trying to do something different, but it simply lacks any of the excitement that the game is known for.
I think you’ve answered your own question. Does it give a new way of looking at a subject matter that is inundated with cliches and tropes. Yep. Is it perfect, nope. Is it going to win over everyone, nope. Does the execution do the idea justice, meh.
Not going to say it blows my socks off, as it doesn’t but at least it has something new to it. And it’s honestly the first time I’ve personally looked at a footy ad and cared at all.
Love that line… Nice work everyone.