The solution was a world first: we created a limited-edition poster that not only featured the players but also included their actual DNA. Each player in the 40-strong squad donated blood which was thoroughly sterilised and then embedded into the poster during the printing process.

Sales of adidas All Blacks apparel over exceeded the target and went up by 24%. All 8000 posters quickly sold out. In fact, many are now traded on auction sites around the world for around US$400 and rising. It was featured on TV News programs, in The Wall Street Journal and other newspapers around the world generating millions of dollars of editorial comment; not to mention hundreds and hundreds of blogs and sites.

If rugby is a blood sport, these posters proved its ultimate celebration.