It’s the biggest game of the year, and this time around, it really means something. NSW Blues and QLD Maroons are tied, one all, but that all changes tonight as we enter into an Origin decider match live from Suncorp Stadium.
Since its inception, State of Origin has become a fierce battleground for the intense rivalry between rugby league players and supporters across Queensland and New South Wales. But, with two of the nation’s biggest alcohol brands throwing their support behind either team, the rivalry has extended to a battle of the beers that fuels the on-field competition but also engages fans, creating a cultural clash that extends beyond the game.
Ahead of this evening’s colossal decider clash, B&T sat down with Chris Allan, connections director at Lion—the parent company that owns both Tooheys and XXXX—to unpack the history and success of this ultimate rivalry!
XXXX x QLD Maroons
XXXX’s partnership with the Queensland Marrons has existed since the inception of the State of Origin series, becoming one of the more iconic partnerships in Australian sporting history. Going far more profound than a commercial agreement, XXXX has always aimed, with the help of the Maroons, to harness the powerful cultural significance of the State of Origin series to galvanise the state through its shared pride and in celebration of the unmatched Queensland spirit. This approach makes the partnership as relevant today as it will be 100 years from now.
In recent years, one of the more iconic moments from this partnership is the B&T and Cairns Crocodiles award-winning XXXX Postcodes of Origin campaign that saw the iconic XXXX logo on the team’s jerseys replaced with the player’s junior club postcode. The campaign proved incredibly successful for the brand, reaching a reported 96 per cent of the Queensland population with a 38 per cent increase in gross profit over the State of Origin period.
“Our Postcodes of Origin campaign began as an initiative to create a bold demonstration of Queensland pride and win back its heartland,” said Allan. “The logo on the left jersey sleeve was replaced with the postcodes of the players’ junior rugby club, the local community where they discovered their hometown pride, camaraderie and passion for rugby, to end up representing the great state of Queensland for the nation’s most anticipated rugby event, State of Origin, truly giving a XXXX!”.
Since the campaign kicked off in 2022, Postcodes of Origin has received a combined 36 million estimated impressions from a base of an estimated 19 million Australian consumers. “Given the campaign’s unmissable approach on player sleeves, Pride in Your Origin continues to take centre stage during each origin series and afterwards leaves an indelible mark on news and sports highlights, making it a perpetual part of Rugby League history and folklore”.
In this State of Origin series, XXXX is taking its sponsorship with the Queensland Maroons to new heights, literally. Due to popular demand, the XXXX postcode can promotion returned, encouraging Queenslanders to share their pride, by once again combining unique digits on XXXX tins in exchange for exclusive prizes. To promote the campaign, XXXX even recruited QLD Rugby League legend Jonathan Thurston to pilot four giant drone-controlled ‘XXXX GOLD Pride In Your Origin’ cans over the iconic Brisbane River, as well as other locations close to Queenslanders’ hearts, including Lang Park, now known as ‘Suncorp Stadium’.
But, according to Allan, this is just the beginning for XXXX’s campaign in 2024. “There’s more in the pipeline for XXXX, including some exciting product innovation to be released this year. Stay tuned”!
Tooheys x NSW Blues
South of the Queensland border, Tooheys drinkers are just as passionate about the footy as they are up north. This is why Tooheys has partnered with the Blues throughout Origin’s history. Naturally, as a NSW native beer – that is recognisable by its iconic blue cans – it only makes sense that the brand be the official beer for the Westpac New South Wales Blues in one of the most nail-biting tournaments in Australian sport.
“Celebrating the efforts of teams and championing teamwork is integral to those that choose the Tooheys brand, and Tooheys’ rich history of partnership with NSW Rugby League meant that becoming sponsors of the mighty NSW blues state of origin team felt like a natural extension of that spirit,” said Allan. “Through the partnership, Tooheys has been able to bring its celebration of teamwork to life, and the many teams that helped put him on footy’s greatest stage”.
The partnership has produced some of the more iconic TVCs in sporting history, including the “Charge Down” television commercial that first revived Tooheys’ iconic “How do you feel” jingle. More recently, Tooheys partnered with other teams from across New South Wales, including the NSW Blues State of Origin team itself, in its latest commercial.
The brand has also collaborated with the team on several limited-edition collector cans over the years. The 2019 series cans were perhaps some of the more iconic, with hilarious slogans from Origin greats like Tommy Raudonikis and Steve “Blocker” Roach that encouraged players to focus on the game ahead.
The partnership between the club and Tooheys has proven incredibly commercially successful, underscoring the brand’s dedication to teamwork and contributing to the sale of over 2 million litres of Tooheys New during the 2023 State of Origin series – its strongest sales volume and brand power for the year.
“Culturally, New South Wales has forever been positioned as a divided state, especially at the time of its origin. So, what better way for Tooheys to show that we go further by working together than through sponsorship of a team literally composed of rivals who are each asked to put their differences aside to chase a common goal and the shared honour of Tooheys’ home state NSW?” said Allan.
“There’s no sporting event more exciting for our Blue state than State of Origin, we’re committed our sponsorship of Westpac New South Wales Blues and cheering on the state’s most revered representative team. Look out for The Westpac New South Wales Blues cameo in the latest Tooheys ‘How do you feel?’ jingle that launched in June, and champions the collective power of teamwork. Tooheys has got more exciting brand work in the mix, from partnerships to new product announcements; it’s an ultra-exciting year for us”.
So, with game three so close, we can taste it: Who will take home the prize tonight? The Blues or the Maroons, XXXX or Tooheys?
