Audi launches ‘Greatness Never Rests’ Hawks sponsorship campaign via 303 MullenLowe
Audi Australia has officially launched its inaugural AFL marketing campaign in Sydney today, aptly named Greatness Never Rests via 303 MullenLowe, Sydney.
The campaign showcases Audi’s dynamic new sponsorship with three times reigning AFL Premiers, the Hawthorn Football Club (HFC), via a 45 and a 30 second television commercial which will air nationally from 6th May featuring three of the Hawks’ most successful players.
Audi was named the Hawks principal partner in 2016, marking a major sponsorship milestone for the German luxury carmaker.
Says Andrew Doyle, managing director, Audi: “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the Hawthorn Football Club. Not only is it the first time we have aligned ourselves with a leading national sporting club in Australia, we are the only premium automotive brand in AFL. Hawthorn’s credentials and club philosophy were a major factor in our decision to sponsor the Club.
“Audi has a comprehensive sponsorship portfolio in Australia and as a partner, our goal is to be as active, engaged and visible as possible, creating a genuine culture of collaboration with the Hawthorn management and players. The partnership affords us with strong visibility nationally and in the Hawks we have found a highly professional partner that is as keen to achieve greatness as we are as a brand.”
Says Richard Morgan, executive creative director at 303 MullenLowe: “The idea behind Greatness Never Rests lends itself as a powerful insight because it’s at the heart of what drives both Audi and the Hawks to achieving ongoing success year after year.”
To bring Audi’s major milestone sponsorship to life, a TVC was created high above the streets of Melbourne’s CBD, titled The Impossible Goal.
Featuring Audi brand ambassador and Hawks vice captain, Jordan Lewis, along with team mates Luke Breust and Isaac Smith, the players were tasked with the challenge to kick a seemingly impossible goal from one rooftop to another, with specially adapted 
LED footballs, designed to be trackable against the night sky.
Says Kevin Goult, general manager marketing, Audi Australia: “At Audi, setting goals is what drives us and pushes us to greater success.The 
Impossible Goal was designed to give the Hawks an unique test, in the same way that Audi tests itself every time we create a new vehicle – it is what we refer to as Vorsprung durch Technik. We are incredibly proud of this new campaign and what it represents for the brand here in Australia.”
Directed by The Sweet Shop’s Noah Marshall, the TVC features the all-new Audi R8, which was flown to Australia from Europe exclusively for the shoot prior to its official release in Australia next month.
Audi also engaged with the Hawks faithful, inviting fans to be a part of the commercial, watching the action from Little Bourke Street.
Greatness Never Rests launches nationally on 6 May, 2016 and will be followed by a two minute behind-the-scenes film, plus a series of online videos, which pit Hawthorn players against the all-new Audi R8.
The online films will run on YouTube and via Audi Australia and the Hawthorn Football Club’s social channels.
Client – Audi Australia
General Manager Marketing – Kevin Goult
Marketing Communications Manager – Kit Bashford
Senior Brand Marketing Executive – Karlien McLeod
Agency – 303 MullenLowe
Executive Creative Director – Richard Morgan
Chief Strategy Officer – Jon McKie
Head of Art – Adam Whitehead
Head of Copy – Sean Larkin
Head of TV – Sean Ascroft
Group Business Director – Georgie McGarr
Business Director – Laura Dewey
Business Executive – Jen Wood
Production Company – The Sweet Shop
DOP – Ross Giardina
Editor – Tim Mauger
Post Production – Fin
Post Production – Jon Baxter
Editor – Tim Mauger
Music/FX – Rumble Studios
8 Comments
So this is why the Hawks lost against GWS by 75 points last week.
Stop making shitty commercials and start training again boys. Not a good look.
Feels like a Hawks ad that Audi has hijacked. Good idea. Poor execution.
Like it a lot.
A lot of noise about not a lot, sadly.
The whole thing is impractical, improbable and impossible.
‘Shame the agencies doing AUDI’s best work, didn’t get a sniff of this brief, eh?
Lurching towards technobabble, rather than Vorsprung durch tecknik, I reckon.
Wouldn’t make me hand over my Beamer keys, when the lease is up, that’s for sure.
Feels a bit worn as a concept. Doesn’t have anything unique about Hawks or Audi. And with the Hawks having a shitty start to the season, ads aren’t going to help anyone – as the fan above mentioned, stop making shitty commercials and start training again.
This is just lame. When are they going to do something decent on this account?
So much hatred from petty individuals with agendas. I think it is a solid piece. Well done.
The truth is this is flawed at many levels. The idea, the execution to name but two and the link between brand the sponsorship is tenuous to say the least.Audi do some great work globally, they don’t here.