The British and Irish Lions are one of the most recognisable sporting brands in the world. Create were asked to develop a set of concepts and a communications strategy to support the launch of their Official Supporters Club, all with the overarching business objective of increasing consumer interest in the Lions 2009 tour to South Africa and growing the revenue stream of this iconic sporting organisation.
Create successfully helped the Lions develop the new revenue stream they were seeking through membership pack sales amongst current fans. Furthermore, working closely with their membership management agency, we also leveraged the campaign to appeal to new target audiences, creating further income and increased support for the club.
The new Supporters Club brand was designed to reflect the fact that the squad, and its supporters, are made up of four separate nations; it aimed to convey a sense of unity whilst preserving each nation’s individual identity. Additionally, our team ensured that the new logo was instantly recognisable, working within the parameters of brand guidelines (such as the use of the colour red) at the same time as bringing a fresh and innovative perspective to the project.
We designed and produced a limited edition ‘Founder Members’ pack, as well as a 3D animation to promote the product on the website. The online initiatives were then integrated with a printed advertising campaign to promote the benefits of being a Supporters Club member, whilst continually reinforcing the organisation’s core values of unity, pride and passion to build anticipation ahead of the 2009 tour.