HOW MY CREATIVE STRATEGY SECURED UNILEVER’S 6-YEAR OMO AFL PARTNERSHIP
I developed the creative strategy, multi-channel campaign, and content plan for Unilever’s OMO sponsorship of the AFL, leading to a successful partnership extension from 6 months to 6 years.
The Ask
Unilever sought to localize their premium brand, OMO Ultimate, and build a deeper connection with Australian parents. The objective was to enhance brand salience and elevate the perception of OMO Ultimate as a premium detergent in the competitive market.
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My approach focused on identifying OMO Ultimate’s role within Aussie Rules culture and aligning it with Unilever’s business goals. This was accomplished by developing a creative platform that communicated to Australian parents that OMO Ultimate truly understands that messiness is an inherent part of the Aussie Rules experience."
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Mud, sweat, and tomato sauce are all integral parts of the Aussie Rules experience, and they should be celebrated.
This insight formed the foundation of the campaign, recognizing that messiness is not something to avoid, but a natural and cherished aspect of the game and Australian culture.
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The Key Message:
“For Whatever the Game Throws at You, Mud, Sweat, and Sauce.”
This message highlighted OMO Ultimate’s understanding of the messiness inherent in Aussie Rules, positioning it as the ultimate solution to tackle even the toughest stains.Supporting Message:
“OMO Ultimate Tackles Stains.”
This reinforced the core benefit of OMO Ultimate, showcasing its superior stain-fighting power, no matter the challenge.
The Result
The multi-channel strategy, paired with strong brand and game alignment, enabled Unilever to secure additional investment from their global office. The success of the campaign led to a partnership extension, with Unilever moving from an initial 6-month commitment to a 6-year partnership.
Due to a sensitive information agreement with the client, specific results cannot be disclosed
The Touchpoints
As Lead Creative Strategist, I developed a cross-channel plan that spanned both paid and organic strategies. I created and optimized assets and messaging with a fit-for-channel approach across the following touchpoints:
TV
OOH (Out-of-Home)
Radio
In-Stadium
Experiential
Meta and YouTube Ads
Display
Social Video Series and Web Video Content
Player PR Moments
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Due to respect of confidentially, I will not share screenshots of strategy slides and documents.
In the planning process I personally developed:
Target audience research
Creative insight development
Messaging pyramid/ hierarchy
360 view of campaign touch points
Roles of channel planning
Social media strategy
Strategy on a page
Aligning campaign up-to corporate strategy
Results reporting documents
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Static and video social ads were activated across Meta and YouTube, driving both sales and awareness objectives to key audiences.
In addition, social-first creatives and content featuring athletes were developed and deployed to enhance engagement and deepen the connection with fans.
The social campaign resulted in significant uplifts across key metrics, including reach, ad recall, engagement rate, and overall brand awareness.
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Building off OMO’s iconic ‘Dirt Is Good’ brand platform, the TVC captured this essence in the mass market TVC spot.
Targeting parents who know too well that sports equal laundry, the commercial leans into the ‘dirt’ aspect of sports, conveying that OMO Ultimate is there for whatever the game throws at you. Mud, Sweat and Sauce.
Social optimised vertical and 1:1 cut-downs of the hero commercial were published across Meta, YouTube and TikTok.
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Aligned with the creative platform, ambassador-driven content was produced to target high-priority markets.
I ensured social best practices were followed by reformatting content into optimized social assets, maximizing its impact and engagement across platforms.