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ECB Primary Sponsor NatWest Employed Clever CGI To Pit ‘Freddie V Freddie’ Ahead of World Cup Final And Ashes
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ECB Primary Sponsor NatWest Employed Clever CGI To Pit ‘Freddie V Freddie’ Ahead of World Cup Final And Ashes
Launched to leverage the tail end of the ICC Cricket World Cup and ahead of the summer’s Ashes series, the England Cricket Board (ECB) primary team sponsor Natwest launched a social media film called ‘Freddie v Freddie’.
Starring one of the most iconic figures in English cricket, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, the spot uses clever technology to show him facing one of his own most famous overs as a bowler – from the 2005 Ashes series at Edgbaston.
It was recreated on a cricket pitch using a machine built by BOLA that can recreate any ball that has ever been bowled in test history – recreating the speed, line, length, swing and spin of each ball.
The video emerged after NatWest polled the Twitter-using public on which iconic over they’d most like to see Freddie face and the film provides fans with a tense viewing experience that effectively communicates the excitement key cricket moments provide.
The campaign, created with agency M&C Saatchi, was teased on 10 July
https://twitter.com/NatWest_Cricket/status/1149026771574165504
and officially launched on the bank’s cricket Twitter feed to coincide with England’s defeat of Australia on 13 July, which secured the team’s place in the World Cup final on July 14 (which England also won).
The former England all-rounder even managed to hit himself for six.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udLIzg1L8Kw
The bank will continued to activate the Ashes tournament with on-pitch, at-game and social content.
https://twitter.com/NatWest_Cricket/status/1154371837637341185
https://twitter.com/NatWest_Cricket/status/1150520504299806723
Comment:
Natwest’s film is a genuinely inventive and a spectacular cricket stunt.
A smart, compelling idea that that cleverly blends archival and new cricket footage to enhance the competition.
It’s also neat that the sponsor has linked the 2019 World Cup with the 2005 Ashes as cricket hasn’t enjoyed a higher profile in the UK since that epic 2005 when England beat Australia in an series.
After supporting cricket across the UK for the last 37 years, NatWest is currently the Principal Partner of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
In 2017, the bank launched its ‘Cricket Has No Boundaries’ campaign designed to showcase and celebrate the diversity and breadth of modern cricket in the UK, support the ECB’s aim for a game for everyone and mirror the bank’s own commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Links:
Natwest
https://www.youtube.com/user/NatWestVideoChannel
https://www.facebook.com/NatWest/
https://www.instagram.com/natwest/
https://twitter.com/NatWest_Cricket
M&C Saatchi London
This case study originally appeared on Activative: which offers clients creative and strategic intelligence to fuel game-changing sports and sponsorship marketing. www.activative.co.uk
