When Vodafone became the official sponsor of the Irish rugby team, they became the 23rd company to be associated with the team in a sponsorship capacity. The brief was clear – Vodafone needed to behave differently to stand out in a busy landscape. We set out to create the most interconnected team and fanbase on the planet. Why? Because you shout louder for someone you know. To do this, we had to show the humans behind the superhumans. In doing so, we would make our rugby players more relatable to Irish fans. Our 30” TVC gives a rare glimpse into the upbringing and childhood of Tadhg Furlong. We chronicle his rise from a young schoolboy growing up on a farm in New Ross all the way to his current position in the Irish rugby team. We see how, like all of us, Tadhg’s surroundings have defined who he is as a person – and who he is is how he plays. We worked directly with Tadhg to ensure the scenes we shot were based on real events, and his father featured in the advert, playing himself. At the same time, we evoked universal childhood memories for Irish viewers, bringing them closer to the Tadhg through shared experiences. The Team Of Us platform has delivered record-breaking results for Vodafone against all KPIs– brand affinity, relevance, differentiation and most importantly, brand consideration.
