New Anthem Brings In The 2021/22 A-League Season Via R/GA And Bring Agency

R/GA and Bring Agency have teamed up to premiere the new track for the launch of the 2021/22 A-League season.

The new track, titled ‘Real Nice (H.C.T.F.),’ features the talent of electronic DJ/producer Young Franco, R&B lyricist and Aria Award winner Tkay Maidza (featured image), and Brisbane rapper Nerve.

The song is part of the A-League’s Here Come the Future brand platform to kick off the new era of football in Australia.

The music video for the tune was directed by Aria nominated Gabriel Gasparinatos and featured A-League stars like Melbourne City FC winger Marco Tilio, and Sydney FC and Matildas goalkeeper Jada Whyman.

This new anthem and brand platform is driven by A-Leagues commercial strategy of attracting a broader group of young Aussie football fans by interacting with pop culture authentically.

R/GA chief officer APAC, Seamus Higgins, is excited about the new brand saying: “Right from the start we set out to create a cultural movement centred around football – not just a campaign.

“Here Come the Future is a rallying cry to the collective of people who are not just shaping the future of the game, but the future of the country.

“A future that’s more diverse, creative, open and expressive. So of course to kick that off we couldn’t just create an ad campaign. We had to create a genuine piece of culture and entertainment.

“We are immensely proud of what we have created together with the incredible team at the A-Leagues,” said Higgins.

Executive creative director of Bring Agency, James Griffiths, added: “When we were approached by R/GA with their vision for the campaign we knew we could highlight the perfect artists for the campaign who would resonate with the target audience.

“We love an ambitious idea, we partnered with the agency and client on a collaborative journey through Universal Music’s unparalleled artist insights, developing a framework for Young Franco, TKay and Nerve to co-create the perfect song for the new brand.

“The track is already connecting with fans on and off the pitch,” said Griffiths.

A-League director of marketing and data, Rob Nolan, concluded: “We’ve stated our ambition to reimagine the football experience for fans in Australia and this collaboration, and broader campaign, are testament to the vision.

“Here Come the Future captures the essence of the future of Australian football and has the ability to reach millions of people.

“We already know that there is a significant crossover between football and music amongst our existing fans on social media, so this cultural collaboration was the perfect fit,” said Nolan.

‘Real Nice (H.C.T.F.)’ was released on Friday, November 19, 2021 and is available on all streaming services including Spotify, SoundCloud, Deezer, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube).

The music video premiered during Channel 10’s coverage of the Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers match on Saturday, November 20.

Credits

A-LEAGUES

Danny Townsend, Managing Director

Ant Hearne, CCO

Rob Nolan, Director, Marketing & Data

David Davutovic, Football Consultant

Angela Colless, Head of Fan Engagement

Nathan Sammut, Senior Marketing Manager

R/GA

Seamus Higgins, CCO APAC

Victoria Curro, Managing Director

Claire Waring, Exec Creative Director

Ben Newman, Assoc Creative Director

Ben Miles, Exec Creative Director, Brand, Design & Consulting

Justin Phang, Creative Director

Henry Cook, Design Director

Jane Duru, Verbal Design Director

Louis Johanson, Senior Designer

George Robertson, Group Director

Lauren Butterfield, Group Account Director

Chris Smyth, Exec Director

Kyle Belcher, Head of Content

Josh Agnew, Account Director

Jon Holloway Exec Strategy Director

Scott McKinnon, Senior Strategist

Callum James, Senior Social Strategist

Matt Vandenberg, Social Media Manager

BRING

Adam Ireland, General Manager, BRING

James Griffiths, Executive Creative Director

Chris Russell, Brand Partnerships Director

Alexia Tomshin, Producer

James Wilkinson, Creative

ENTROPICO

Gabriel Gasparinatos, Director

Erin Moy, Executive Producer

Jemma Cole, Producer

Tom Black, DOP (Sydney Unit)

1st AD: Annabel Mills

DOP: Caleb Ware (Brisbane Unit)

DOP: Madison McKamey (LA Unit)

Editors: Jodie Williams, Andrea Chen & Gabriel Gasparinatos

Editors: Jodie Williams & Andrea Chen

Photographer: Daphne Nguyen

OMD

Kate Sharkey, Business Director

Lewis Brown Account Director