Social media specialists and Telstra set to launch Sportsfan Lab during Wednesday night’s highly anticipated State of Origin decider via R/GA

Social media is set to ignite the passion of more than 4 million sports fans tuning into this Wednesday’s highly anticipated State of Origin decider with the Telstra Sportfan Lab via R/GA.

An Australian first, the Telstra Sportsfan Lab is teamed by 15 social media specialists who will engage live with fans as the action happens on field, direct from a purpose-made hub at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.

Having already reached almost 8 million Twitter users across the first two Origin games, the Sportsfan Lab is ready to light up the ‘Twitterverse’ on the night of Origin 3.

Telstra director CRM, digital and loyalty marketing Nick Adams said the Sportsfan Lab’s Origin #FanBattle featuring NSW and Queensland league legends Mark Geyer and Wendell Sailor has proven a hit with fans.

The #FanBattle counted every cheer, jeer, tweet and retweet to determine which state’s fans had won after each game.

Says Adams: “Having two passionate former Origin players in Mark and Wendell leading the way has really fired up fans. It’s a great example of the way social media can add to the experience of live sporting events. We’re expecting a huge response for what promises to be one of the biggest Origin games of all time this Wednesday night.”

To date, Aussie sporting personalities such as NBA basketballer Patrick Mills, Wallaby Digby Loane, and Queensland’s Firebirds netball team have tweeted their support.

Other celebrities tweeting their support included Olympic swimmer Jess Schipper, AFL player Kieran Jack, and newsreaders Jim Wilson, Chris Bath and Sandra Sully; all shared their fan art with their followers.

Telstra combined with digital agency R/GA to create the Sportsfan Lab, which was recently recognised by Twitter’s Head of Agency and Brand Advocacy, Melissa Barnes, as an example of best practice.

Says Josh Rowe, R/GA Sydney’s creative director: “This is the culmination of a strategic collaboration between R/GA and Telstra, with the first social response lab we launched earlier this year introducing a unique way to interact with fans live and one-to-one. The intense rivalry of State of Origin has taken this project to a new level.

“All fans have to do is tweet for their team using #Queenslander or #UpTheBlues to get involved in the Origin #FanBattle – we’re really looking forward to Game 3.”