Ex-Lions champ Jonathan Brown stars in the AFL's finals advertising campaign
The AFL has launched its marketing campaign for the 2014 Toyota AFL Finals Series, enlisting one of the game's greats to deliver a call to arms to AFL fans planning on attending the finals - Don't go quietly.
The campaign, titled Don't go quietly, features recently retired Brisbane Lions captain and triple-Premiership player Jonathan Brown alongside an array of compelling sounds and images of AFL fans and players.
The campaign, rolling out nationally from Friday August 15, highlights the passion of AFL fans and encourages them to show their colours and support their team as loudly as possible during the most important time of the year for Australia's Indigenous game.
It sets out to parallel the fan's experience with the fortunes of their team and also serves to remind Australian sports fans that no matter who you support, nothing beats the atmosphere and excitement of seeing an AFL final live.
The new campaign, produced by cummins&partners, features a number of the AFL's biggest names including Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe, Port Adelaide's Chad Wingard, Sydney's Lance Franklin, Essendon's Brendon Goddard, Adelaide's Eddie Betts and Collingwood's Dane Swan amongst others, with support from some of the AFL's most passionate fans from across Australia.
For the first time a number of AFL senior coaches feature in TVCs that are set to be aired in specific markets around the country commencing next week. AFL Coaches such as Hawthorn's Alastair Clarkson, Sydney's John Longmire and Fremantle's Ross Lyon, have all voiced ads that challenge fans to get involved in the finals. The coaches' ads will run in their respective markets throughout the finals series.
Former Brisbane skipper Jonathan Brown said he was more than happy to lend his voice to the campaign. "When I read the script, it immediately resonated with me, it captured the feeling you get as a player and a fan," Brown said.
"It's why players love to play at home and in front of big crowds. The fans make a real difference, you can feel it on the field - they can actually change the momentum of a game."
AFL General Manager - People, Customer and Community, Dorothy Hisgrove, said: "This year's finals campaign is all about the incredibly loyal and passionate fans that make up Australian football. The imagery used across the campaign is real and is focused on celebrating the role our fans play each week.
"The fans make the game what it is and we encourage them to support their team by coming along to the 2014 finals proudly wearing their club colours and in full voice."
The full TVC campaign was preceded by a number of short teaser ads that simply featured instantly recognisable sounds from AFL finals matches accompanied only by the tagline Don't go quietly.
Media wishing to obtain a copy of the TVC are asked to submit a request by return email.