This summer, Victoria Bitter, Australia’s beer for a hard earned thirst, is giving up its iconic logo to cricket fans and paying homage to unsung heroes as part of a big summer campaign.
Throughout the Victoria Bitter One Day International (ODI) Series, each member of the Australian cricket team will wear the name of someone who has inspired others through their hard work.
Victoria Bitter is calling all Australians to nominate the person who has motivated them to take action or achieve something important in their life, with the most inspirational stories being rewarded by having their name feature on an Australian ODI shirt.
Cricketing stars David Warner, Shane Watson, George Bailey and Mitchell Starc are the first to nominate heroes, with their nominees set to feature on their shirts during the ODI series.
Warner nominated his fitness coach Wayne Geber in thanks for his undying support and friendship over the years, while George Bailey and Shane Watson both nominated their fathers, recognising their contributions to their cricketing careers.
Rounding out the nominations is Mitchell Starc, who thanked his partner and cricket star Alyssa Healy for being an inspiration to him on and off the field.
CUB’s Louise Thiele said the campaign, which is a great match for the iconic beer brand, would give people the chance to pay tribute to those who have supported them.
“Often there are people in your life who need more than a thank you and we feel this a very ‘Victoria Bitter’ way of paying homage to the hard work many people do to support others,” Ms Thiele said.
As the naming rights sponsor of the ODI series, Victoria Bitter will activate the campaign from early November with a panel of judges making the final call on which names will appear during the series.
Consumers are being asked to upload an image, video or story to nominate the person who has inspired them to take action and work hard. Winners will also receive a personalised replica jersey for themselves and their nominee. The victoriabitter.com.au site is where people nominate their unsung hero.
The campaign, which is a departure from previous promotions for Victoria Bitter, features a set of vignettes which show each of the players involved telling their ‘unsung hero’ they will be featuring on their team shirt.
“There’s some lovely exchanges between the players and their nominees… there’s some humour in there, but some emotion too,” Ms Thiele said.
“We hope people agree it’s a nice way for the brand to involve them during this big summer of cricket.”