Vodafone leans into Rugby World Cup sponsorship with family-focused ad

Telecom firm Vodafone is leaning into its sponsorship of the Irish rugby team ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup with a family-focused campaign from Folk Wunderman Thompson.

The story behind the campaign centres around family values and the importance of connections and reliability – tying neatly in with the Vodafone network message of having ‘connections you can always rely on’.

Created by Folk Wunderman Thompson and directed by Oscar award-winning director Tom Hooper, the ad explores the moment head coach Andy Farrell first thought of his teammates like family, back in 1980s Wigan, and how he took this ethos to the Irish squad today.

The spot finishes in the modern day with Andy’s words ringing true to the players, as they prepare to walk out onto the pitch for one of the most important matches of their lives at the Rugby World Cup.

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Shown across TV, cinema and out of home (OOH), the hero ad gives the audiences a unique insight into the squad and how Andy Farrell has instilled a strong sense of togetherness among the team.

Folk Wunderman Thompson creative partner Karl Waters said: “Andy Farrell has instilled a sense of family and reliability in the Irish camp.

“We wanted to get to the heart of where Andy learned this, going all the way back to Wigan in 1983. Reliability is of course the role Vodafone’s network plays with Irish families too.”

Vodafone Ireland head of brand Orla Nagle added: “Since the beginning of our partnership with the IRFU we have seen the team take their performance to the next level.

“Through this advert we wanted to celebrate that success and bring to life the teams spirit, by capturing its foundations which are deeply rooted in reliability, dependability and what it means to be part of #TeamOfUs.”

Vodafone has also run campaigns surrounding other national sporting events, including #FeelTheConnection which was shown during the run-up to this year’s Wimbledon Championships.