After four years touring the globe, experiential installation the Giant Rugby Ball returns home

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Screen shot 2011-10-25 at 11.30.44 AM.jpgAfter four years touring the globe, the Giant Rugby Ball – New Zealand’s most successful experiential marketing installation – has finished its world trip on a high note at home on Auckland’s waterfront.

 

The Giant Rugby Ball was the most high profile experiential marketing initiative ever to hit New Zealand shores. In just six weeks, the Ball hosted over 90,000 visitors at its Queen’s Wharf location, adding to another 70,000 visitors at sites in Paris, London, Tokyo and Sydney.

The Giant Rugby Ball generated huge attention from foreign media. Over 138 million people in France alone were reached through media coverage of the Ball, while more than 40,000 people have headed online and viewed YouTube videos featuring the Ball.

 

The Giant Rugby Ball gave visitors an eye-opening view of New Zealand through an audio-visual voyage of the country’s landscapes, culture, adventure activities and export opportunities. 

 

Created by Inside Out Productions, the Giant Rugby Ball showcased New Zealand as a place to visit, live, work and do business, generating interest and attention in the lead up to New Zealand hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup. 

 

The Giant Rugby Ball, which was free to the public during the day, also acted as a hospitality venue in the evening. The screen-based technology at the core of the concept provided a successful platform on which to adapt content to suit a variety of audiences. Everything from lush New Zealand vineyards to wind farms on local paddocks were projected around the Ball at bespoke corporate and industry events.

 

Since the Ball was originally developed five years ago, opportunities to further engage audiences using experiential marketing initiatives have grown through social media. Mike Mizrahi, Director of Inside Out Productions, believes that while this genre of marketing is not new, it is under-utilised in New Zealand and integrating social media into experiential initiatives is the key to building bigger and better campaigns.

 

“Visitor feedback has been phenomenal, with Kiwis all around the world embracing the Giant Rugby Ball. We’ve even had people queuing for up to two hours just to get a glimpse inside,” Mizrahi says.

 

“Knowing how successful the Giant Rugby Ball has been, the industry is now challenged to take what we’ve learned and develop future campaigns that resonate even more powerfully with audiences.

 

“We must now focus on identifying what brands people are talking about online and where this is happening – be it on Facebook, Twitter or blogs – and develop tailored, engaging experiences in the offline world for them to interact with as well.”

 

Experiential marketing is on the rise in New Zealand, with marketers keen to embrace this engagement tool. While organisations including Telecom and Contact Energy have undertaken successful experiential marketing campaigns, the Giant Rugby Ball is a case study to aspire to.

 

“Well executed experiential marketing offers heart-warming experiences which engage individuals in a way that connects with their emotions – the Giant Rugby Ball has moved visitors to tears all around the world,” says Mizrahi.

 

The success of the Giant Rugby Ball has attracted international interest in Inside Out Production’s experiential marketing capabilities.