ANZ Bank are major sponsors of the New Zealand Olympic Team and New Zealand Paralympic Team. As a nation, we’re highly competitive on the global stage.

In an uncertain environment after the 2020 Games were postponed by a year, ANZ Bank wanted an engagement campaign that demonstrated New Zealand’s unflinching support of their Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Through this campaign, we wanted to raise awareness of ANZ Bank’s sponsorship of the teams, drive brand consideration for ANZ Bank and encourage participation from sports fans.

With closed borders and empty stands, it was near impossible for fans to cheer on their athletes in person during the pandemic Games. So we created a way for fans to give our athletes what they needed more than anything - support. The ANZ Support Band is a world-first wearable innovation that allowed fans in New Zealand to make their support felt by athletes in Tokyo. The ANZ Support Band was a part of the official uniform, worn every New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic athlete. Designed in consultation with the athletes, the band sent a pulse of support to the team at specific times they were not competing, along with a daily support tally of all the fans cheering for them. In NZ 10,000 bands were allocated to fans in under 2 weeks, with over 100,000 joining our team of supporters through the smartphone app.

Sport is a key element of New Zealand’s cultural identity. This passion reaches its peak during the Olympic Games. As sponsor of New Zealand’s Olympic and Paralympic teams, ANZ wanted to win broad awareness and consideration among customers and non-customers. We had to do more than just stick our logo everywhere. Our ambition was to make a lasting positive contribution to the sporting community and sports fans.

Covid changed the nature of large-scale sports events, and ANZ Bank’s sports sponsorship strategy needed to change with it. With fans unable to attend the Games, live broadcasts became vitally important. Our approach was to help ANZ emerge as the dominant sponsor of the Games, by finding a way to help fans feel more involved as they tuned in to watch the Games from afar. With the Support Band, ANZ asked fans to support their heroes in a new way.

We executed an integrated campaign to around three key phases of the event– Pre-Games, During Games, Post Games.

Pre-Games launched with a global PR blitz around our world-first innovation.

TV, online, and bespoke social films built a buzz around the device, highlighting how it transforms the experience of watching the Games for fans, and the difference it can make to our athletes. Outdoor, digital and social assets all drove fans to register for the Support Band on our website and download the smartphone app.

During the Games, we encouraged fans to send their support. A broadcast integration partnership ensured commentators reminded fans watching to keep using the Band. Athletes featured on air and on social media as thanking Kiwis for this support.

PR, social and direct channels emphasised how the Support Band can be re-used as a fitness tracker beyond the Games, so fans can turn their inspiration into action.

Worn by every NZ Olympic and Paralympic athlete, the Support Band gave New Zealand an unfair advantage during the Games.

The Support Band’s popularity among fans made ANZ New Zealand’s most recognised sponsor during the Games.

All 10,000 units of the Support Band were gone in 8 days of launch, as fans flooded our site.

Over 100,000 Kiwis joined our army of active supporters by sending support via our smartphone app.

Fans sent their support every 2 seconds of the Games on average - received by athletes at set times they were not competing.

Athletes felt buoyed by this support. Despite competing in a pandemic, New Zealand achieved a record medal tally at the Games.

The Support Band has helped ANZ shift consideration among non-customers by 79%. It continues to offer value to all fans as a fitness tracker post the Games.