Broadcasting firm Sky has worked with indigenous Australian artist Konstantina to craft a distinct brand identity for its coverage of this year’s British & Irish Lions Tour.
Kicking off on 20 June with a warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin, the tour will mark the Lions’ first return to action since their Covid-stricken jaunt across South Africa in 2021.
This year’s edition will see the side take on Australia in three key test matches, as well as a selection of the country’s best club and invitational outfits. From 28 June to 2 August, the Lions will travel to Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne.
According to the brand, the coverage’s creative will be rooted in Australia’s “rich cultural landscape”, the centrepiece of the campaign follows a lion guided by a pelican, “respectfully” travelling along the Gadigal songline (an ancient, cultural Aboriginal route) towards Sydney.
“Working with a First Nations artist has helped us create an authentic and respectful visual identity. The lion embodies the unity of the four nations, a powerful symbol of shared pride and strength,” said Harry Ward, creative director at Sky Creative.
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“For this Australian tour, we chose to portray him as a respectful traveller. By combining traditional Indigenous art techniques with cutting-edge visual effects, we’ve crafted a character that is both culturally authentic and visually striking, which is perfectly suited to the series.”
Developed in-house by Sky Creative, the campaign was also crafted with the help of composer Dave Connolly and cultural adviser and musician Matthew Doyle.
With every game from the series to be broadcast live across Sky Sports, the creative campaign will run across TV, social media and online for the duration of the tour.
Konstantina herself added: “It is wonderful to see a British broadcaster embrace the storytelling and arts practise of Indigenous Australia and be so proud to showcase it across their channels for the Lions tour.
“Working collaboratively with the team from concept to conclusion meant that we were able to get the story right and show off First Nations art to the world in a unique and compelling way.”
