With 57 million open web mentions captured between May and July, the 2025 State of Origin series proved to be as big a clash in the digital arena as it was on the field. And while the Blues may have edged out the Maroons in total mentions, GumGum’s Mindset Graph revealed that Queensland owned the moments that mattered most.
In an age where marketing signals really matter, the Mindset Graph tracks contextual signals like sentiment and momentum to help map when audiences are most engaged. In moments like State of Origin, it offers a window into how people are feeling, reacting and responding, showing how attention builds and shifts during major cultural events.
And there are few bigger events than Game 3, which brought the energy in a big way. NSW may have led in total mentions, recording 27.3 million compared to Queensland’s 24 million, but the most significant shift in momentum came earlier in the series.
Immediately after Game 2, mentions of Queensland surged 11 times overnight, representing the largest spike across the series. This sharp rise in attention demonstrated that the rivalry had well and truly been reignited, with the emotional intensity carried into Game 3, highlighting how timing and emotional context can drive deeper audience engagement than volume alone.
From an advertising perspective, Game 1 recorded the highest average attention time across categories like air travel at 4.9 seconds, jewellery and watches at 4.2 seconds, vision care at 4.07 seconds, and medical insurance at 4.04 seconds. These brands were well aligned with the audience mindset as the series kicked off.
When broken down by state, NSW’s attention skewed towards protection and lifestyle, with medical insurance at 3.7 seconds, fashion at 3.1 seconds, and automotive at 2.4 seconds leading the charge. In contrast, QLD was focused on sport, with rugby union at 3.0 seconds, AFL at 2.8 seconds, and rugby league at 2.2 seconds drawing the strongest engagement.
“When the stakes are high and emotions run deep, audiences become more engaged than ever,” said Georgia Falloon, sales director, QLD, SA and WA at GumGum. “The Mindset Graph helps brands show up in those key moments where attention is already high and the message is more likely to resonate.”
With the NRL and AFL finals just around the corner, brands now have an opportunity to align their messaging with more high impact sporting moments, when attention is laser focused on the action. For advertisers looking to make an impact, now is the time to prepare with emotionally relevant creative that fits the context and meets the moment.
