The greatest ad campaign of all has returned to the greatest game of all.
Thirty years after it became rugby league’s anthem, the NRL has again opted for Simply The Best for its 2020 marketing campaign.
Tina Turner’s smash hit will be used in a two-minute advertisement for the upcoming season, which will also be cut into 30 and 60-second adverts. Turner consented to the campaign and was impressed when she viewed the advert for the first time last weekend.
“I am thrilled the NRL is still excited about Simply The Best and will use it again after 30 years,’’ Turner said.
“Thirty years on, to see the song being celebrated and the campaign re-launched is very humbling.
“To this day I have very fond memories of the campaign and the grand final performance. I can still remember climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at dawn to film the commercial.
“The grand final was my first rugby league game and I’ve never forgotten it. I wish the NRL all the best with the campaign.”
The campaign celebrates rugby league’s highlights of the past three decades, including Benji Marshall’s flick pass, Scott Sattler’s iconic covering tackle and Newcastle’s 1997 grand final victory. It will also reflect on off-field triumphs the game has had in the community.
The celebration of the 30 years since Simply The Best was used for rugby league will add an element of nostalgia and romance and raise hopes that the NRL is poised for another golden era.
The return of Turner’s anthem has been a long time in the making. There were attempts to remake the advertisement for its 10th and 20th anniversaries, but a deal was never struck. This time, after an extended period of negotiations, the NRL has made it happen.
The new ad campaign will be launched on Monday night, giving fans their first glimpse. Former league boss John Quayle, who staked his reputation on the success of the original campaign, has given the reboot his seal of approval.
The Sun-Herald can provide a sneak peek of the first behind-the-scenes photos from the new shoot, which include appearances from Latrell Mitchell and Parramatta pair Clint Gutherson and Mitchell Moses.
Footy fans can expect the old Turner hit to be given plenty of airtime. Nine, the publishers of The Sun-Herald, have used the anthem, as well as previous footage of Turner performing, as part of their promotional campaign for the upcoming season. The ad features snippets of commentary from another voice synonomous with rugby league, veteran caller Ray Warren.
Jimmy Barnes has also recorded a new version of Simply the Best for Fox Sports’ new ad campaign, which was filmed in the construction zone that is currently Allianz Stadium. And Melbourne forward Dale Finucane will play an acoustic version of the song during the NRL’s official season launch at The Venu’ at Alexandria on Thursday.
The NSW star admitted he was nervous about the responsibility during an interview with the Herald last week.
“I was a little bit shocked initially when I was asked, because usually they source actual musicians for these sorts of things," Finucane said.
“But once I thought about it, I wanted to do it. The chords in the song are quite simple. I thought I had to tune it down a little because my voice is a bit husky and it won't reach the high notes of Tina and Jimmy Barnes. I've toned it down to suit my voice.”
The 80-year-old Turner, who also rocked the game with her hit song What you Get Is What You See, will not be attending the launch.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...-2020-marketing-campaign-20200229-p545mc.html
