When BMW needed a media event for the announcement of their sponsorship of Springbok rugby they looked to Mann Made Media for a unique creative concept and world-class execution.

The agency developed a strategy that sought to parallel the thrill of driving a BMW with the adrenalin rush that a Springbok rugby player experiences when running onto the field. This thought was contained in the creative theme, ‘From Tarmac to Turf’. To dramatise this, the agency teamed up its most enthusiastic rugby jocks together with its most gifted technical boffs. The result was a carefully designed and precisely staged audio and visual installation that recreated the visceral experience of walking down a tunnel alive with the sounds of anticipation, and then running into a packed stadium that explodes with a panorama of passionate supporters. Using superb sound design, bespoke technology motion detection, and a four metre tall, 180 degree plasma wall of tens of thousands of CGI fans to achieve the effect, the announcement of this momentous sponsorship scored some excellent reviews with the media.

“Mann Made Media delivered a world-class experience to the media and VIP guests who attended the event,” explains Guy Kilfoil, General Manager: Communications & Public Affairs at BMW South Africa. “BMW is a premium brand which focuses on passion and innovation and both of these characteristics were a visceral part of the creative execution delivered on the day. So believable was the stadium experience that even some of the Springbok players in attendance commented on its authenticity.”