People Power to bring World Cup to Australia

Roar Rookie

By Mick, 4 Dec 2009 Mick is a Roar Rookie

Tagged:: 2018 World Cup bid, addidas, FFA, football, Nicole Kidman, World Cup, World Football

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The brand with the three stripes. Those are the words written inside of my new boots: the Adidas Copa Mundial. Considered the best boot of all time, and with good reason.

German craftsmanship, soft Kangaroo leather and great ball control. The shoe has a grass-roots following among footballers across the globe.

But before you think I’m engaging in a hapless plug for Adidas, I want to relate the success of this shoe to Australia’s aspiration for a 2018/2022 World Cup.

What I think is lacking is a true grass-roots campaign. Something that works. Something that’s to the point. Nothing fancy, just a bread and butter approach.

This is what made the Copa Mundial so successful and this is what should give Australia’s bid half a chance.

The addition of Nicole Kidman as chief spokesperson represents the opposite of what Australia should be promoting. Get down to the fans, the everyday players who want to see an Australian World Cup happen.

The bid seems like it’s solely in the hands of the FFA and the Federal Government rather than where it should be: with clubs, players, armchair experts and ‘backyard bashers’ across Australia.

Generating that community spirit would no doubt give weight to such a bid and maybe we would then be taken seriously by FIFA.

As such, I’m proposing something a little different.

Right now, if football is to have any chance of succeeding in Australia, we need this World Cup bid to work, preferably for 2018.

Roar addicts, it’s time your voice was heard. And You Tube is the answer. Head over to this site and upload your Wold Cup video now.

You can do anything on it. Play some football, score a goal, talk to people in the street, anything, as long as you say “Australia wants the World Cup!”

Now I know that the FFA has already got something similar going with their Come Play theme. But, really, has anyone even heard much about it?

It’s been a PR disaster.

So this is my attempt to make people sit up and take notice. Tell your mates, tell your family, tell the Pope, tell everyone-AUSTRALIA WANTS THE WORLD CUP.

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The Crowd Says (25) | Page 1 of Comments

Freud of Football said | December 4th 2009 @ 6:05am | Report comment

Australian’s just have no idea how to market.

I mean really, “where the bloody hell are ya?”, what was that? “Throw another shrimp on the barbie” has only been remembered because it was so pathetic and the most iconic line that I hear overseas is “that’s not a knife…” – from a movie.

The WTBHAY “campaign” was utterly hopeless and to think of the millions that was wasted on it…I much prefer the British spin on it; http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/theword/Bloody%20ad.jpg

Obviously Nicole Kidman was a terrible choice, I mean what the hell does she have to do with football? Which numptee with a degree came up with this one? And how?

“Give me a list of Australian’s sorted by their popularity overseas”
“What for?”
“We need a face for our WC bid”
“Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes, Kylie Minogue, John Howard…Yeah, how about Johnny?”
“Nah, think he’s busy at the cricket”
“…Nicole Kidman? Oh well, no one else is available, she’ll do.” ?

Get Harry Kewell off his backside, he is the one player that Aus have of some international significance, obviously he’s not Beckham but he’s something to work with. Kidman, an actress whose skin is glued to her skull? Bad, bad choice.

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- Roger Rational said | December 4th 2009 @ 6:41am | Report comment
  
  It’s borne of insularity, Freud. Australians are somewhat naive about the outside world and consequently tend to make a hash of things like this. Equally, though, that child-like quality can be quite endearing. Some of the FIFA bigwigs might prefer Aussie naivete to the more knowing, cynical campaigns run by the old world nations.
  
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- Darwin hammer said | December 4th 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
  
  .. and lets not forget those appalling Baz Luhrmann adds last year … but wasn’t Kidman born in the US …. it’s a bit like getting Russell Crowe as the spokesman …
  
  … must say though I must get me a pair of those boots …German craftsmanship, soft Kangaroo leather and great ball control – so the boots do the controlling for you – very smart
  
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- craig said | December 7th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
  
  When will you people understand that the WC bid process is not for selling it to us but the people who vote.
  
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Kurt said | December 4th 2009 @ 6:54am | Report comment

Maybe there is no grassroots campaign because the broad mass of the population couldn’t give a rat’s about hosting the world cup? Sure Frank Lowy and the FFA want it as an opportunity to grow soccer – fair enough too, that’s their job. And Rudd wants it for the same reason all politicians want major sporting events – it gives them a perfect opportunity for self-aggrandisement at the tax-payers expense. The Brits who make up the lions share of soccer supporters in this country would probably prefer England host it anyway.

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Allen said | December 4th 2009 @ 7:34am | Report comment

120,000 people following progress on the bid on facebook can’t be wrong..

http://www.facebook.com/ComePlay

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- Alex said | December 4th 2009 @ 10:07am | Report comment
  
  More people joined the support Matthew Johns and Matthew Johns sites in 3 days than this site in over two years. Besides, joining those groups is nothing significant. How many of those people are really that passionate aboutthecause? If they were all very keen it would be a roar not a yelp.
  
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  - Allen said | December 4th 2009 @ 10:30am | Report comment
    
    Unlike Mathew John’s groups, which people basically join to make a stupid fleeting statement in their news feed, this is a product page that provides regular updates to fans through their facebook news feed.
    
    I have found it very useful in keeping upto date with what is going on in relation to the bid, and in growing my enthusiasm at Australia’s chances of getting up. Whether they are ‘passionate’ or not, 120,000 people are also receiving these updates which can only be good for creating community support. Given the article says that ‘come play’ has been a PR disaster I think it is reasonable to point to this as a shining light in the campaign’s social media strategy.
    
    By comparison England’s page has 44K (http://www.facebook.com/England2018 ) and USA’s 10k (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-USA-Bid/250031925191 ), given the population proportions involved I think we are doing pretty well in this little battle!
    
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    - Alex said | December 4th 2009 @ 11:52am | Report comment
      
      Oh please, so few people would look at such news flashes. I’m a member and I must get ten a day from different groups. Hardly a reliable source of information. Only in fad mad Australia could people bang on so much about social networking sites as marketing platforms. You wouldn’t join such a group in England for fear of being branded a chav. I live in Europe and any sentence which includes the words football and Australia provokes laughs and confused looks. Judging from what I have read and heard from Australia the bid has hardly sparked commited and passionate support.
      
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Pippinu said | December 4th 2009 @ 7:50am | Report comment

Mick
full marks for passion – but your hope that we might get 2018 is misplaced.

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- Mick said | December 4th 2009 @ 8:33am | Report comment
  
  Pippinu,
  Thanks mate. I just figured there wasn’t enough being done by the public to push for the WC in either 2018 or 2022. Maybe it’s too far away? I don’t know. Still, at least I made my point.
  
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The Bear said | December 4th 2009 @ 8:28am | Report comment

I hear you Mick. Well done.

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Tom said | December 4th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment

I actually think Australians are generally pretty good at marketing themselves to the outside world. ‘Bloody hell’ was a notable exception but the ‘Shrimp on the barbie’ ads were incredibly successful at getting tourists to Australia from America, which is not an easy task.

Although some people seem to fret about it, generally Australia is perceived as a pretty good place to do business. That wouldn’t be possible without some successful marketing from the private and public sectors.

NIcole Kidman is a misfire though. I’m not sure what she represents in Australia that would make people want to give us the world cup.

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- BigAl said | December 4th 2009 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
  
  Nicole Kidman surely is a misfire ! – lovely lady, but now all England has to do to totally blow Australia’s bid to smithereens is get Keira Knightley to make a video for them.
  
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  - Redb said | December 4th 2009 @ 2:11pm | Report comment
    
    both would be good for pale ale commercials.
    
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- trackbianca said | December 4th 2009 @ 4:45pm | Report comment
  
  To be fair, the FFA also took 8 children with them to South Africa (there was a competition on the bid website) – and I think using ordinary kids to talk up the bid is an inspired idea.
  
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danny said | December 4th 2009 @ 10:35am | Report comment

i agree that the world cup hasn’t been marketed to the masses particularly well. but they seem to be marketing themselves pretty damn well to the people that matter (ie the 24-man FIFA committee that will vote next December).

Jack Warner, quoted in today’s fairfax:

”Australia is speaking a great game,” he says. ”One year ago, Australia was not even on the radar. One year later, Australia can sit and look at themselves as competitive as Spain, or anyone else. Keep doing what you’re doing, because you seem to have your head on your shoulders. If any country has a plan, Australia has a plan.”

I agree that Nicole Kidman seems a strange choice, but in terms of promoting the bid, they haven’t done much wrong so far in my opinion.

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- Tom said | December 4th 2009 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
  
  Good quote, but whenever Jack Warner says anything I can’t shake the feeling that next week he’ll say the exact opposite.
  
  I get the impression he doesn’t mind reading his own quotes in the press, does Jack Warner.
  
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Gweeds said | December 4th 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment

I have no problem with Nicole Kidman. Australian Hollywood actors are something everyone in the world knows about, so I think initially is a good strategy. I also think that the FFA has tried to involve fans with its website etc. Melbourne fans did their bit last Saturday when overseas journalists came to Etihad Stadium and the atmosphere was terrific.

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- The Bear said | December 4th 2009 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
  
  All efforts must be made to fend off the USA push for 2022. Aussie Nic (and Keith), all the way!
  
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Gibbo said | December 4th 2009 @ 1:03pm | Report comment

if they were going for the ‘soccer mum’ image surely they could have sprung for the body, elle macpherson, instead of old red skeletor!

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- AndyRoo said | December 4th 2009 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
  
  Do Elles kids play football though. you don’t want a daily mail exclusive about Elles kids actualy playing lacrosse!
  
  Nicoles a real soccer mum
  
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  - Chris said | December 4th 2009 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
    
    When did “soccer mum” become a compliment?
    
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    - AndyRoo said | December 4th 2009 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
      
      It’s sounds better than Lacrosse Mum and means she can mumble some small talk about her kids local team, “they wear pretty colours or such”.
      
      Plus she’s an actor and once you can fake sincerity you have got it made
      
      I guess the term stopped being an insult with the rise of MILF
      
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danny said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:29pm | Report comment

*bump*

interesting seeing people from other countries rating australia’s world cup promotional video very highly, and saying nicole kidman was a great choice (http://www.gamesbids.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16115)

this site also has all of the bidding nations’ videos: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/bidders/index.html

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