KIA
OVAL SPONSORSHIP
THE BRIEF
Brand sponsorship deals and naming rights can be an enticing and rewarding marketing tool, however it takes more than just a few logos dotted around a sports ground to win over thousands of sports fans.
Real impact comes from brands reaching fans in a compelling way. Together with our long time global automotive titan Kia have nailed this by weaving its identity and brand into the fabric of the iconic Kia Oval (the home of Surrey County Cricket Club for over a decade).
As the new cricket season approached, it seemed like the perfect time to push Kia’s relationship with the grounds to new heights. The brief was clear, through fresh new social media content, make the already established partnership “bigger and better”.
We were tasked with developing the social media content, from ideation to execution, that would simultaneously appeal to and resonate with cricket fans, whilst spreading increased awareness of Kia’s association with the sport and further amplifying the automotive company’s new branding.
THE SOLUTION
Securing time with three high profile Surrey County Cricket players – Chris Jordan, Ollie Pope and Rory Burns – at a pre-arranged media day, we set out to gather as much visual and audio recordings as possible. The challenge? We only had one hour with each player to gather the content they needed and most importantly, get it right under the strict time constraints. There was no option to go back and re-record.
Given these time limitations, a solid plan was needed to maximise the sessions with each player, all whilst sticking to the brief and keeping the pre-recorded car footage front of mind. We drafted scripts prior to meeting the players, which ensured the voice over part of the sessions were kept as short as possible. Video briefs and storyboarding meant videographers could capture the staged visuals as swiftly as possible whilst again staying in line with the original brief.
Our video production team successfully gathered footage of each player’s ‘pre-match’ moments, as well as their ‘celebrations’ on the field.
The strategic preplanning of scripts and visuals meant that we were able to savour time to capture authentic and candid interviews with the players. The effective use of time helped the agency stockpile a large variety of visuals and audio that would aid in the execution of the brief.
With the work we did during the day, we are able to capture the following content:
- Organic interview session.
- Scripted voice over session.
- Visual shots of Players’ profile, kit prep. Their ‘pre-match’ moments in the changing rooms.
- Outdoor shots of the players on the field, their celebrations.
Three edits were developed with the footage we shot, one for each player. The tone of the videos was adapted based the footage and recording for each player, varying between the unscripted and the scripted to produce edits that feel relaxed, natural and engaging.
THE RESULT
The use of archival cricket footage meant less pressure to capture all footage needed on the day. This type of footage also added further dynamism to Kia’s visuals and those that were recorded during the sessions.
The collaboration between Kia and Surrey County Cricket Club yielded a resounding success, creating a seamless link between the automotive giant and the cricket world. The final visuals and content not only established a compelling connection between the sport and the brand but also delivered an exciting and interactive viewing experience.
In total, the three films accumulated over 29,500 views on Surrey County Cricket Club’s Instagram channel with an astounding 3.1 million impressions from the content on Kia’s own channels. The results exceeded all expectations and received much praise from cricket fans, the cricket club, and the car manufacturer.
Kia commended the videos, dubbing them as the best piece of cricket content produced in recent years. The social media surge that followed the launch of the content solidified the success of the brief with the videos playing a pivotal role in elevating the partnership between Kia and Surrey Cricket Club.
