Strengthening a High-Value Sponsorship Portfolio

At NSW Rugby League (NSWRL), sponsorships are a major part of the organisation’s commercial success — accounting for approximately 30% of total revenue. Ensuring that those partnerships continue to deliver value is critical, especially when it comes to flagship sponsors like McDonald’s.

In 2024, NSWRL was looking for a way to add even more value to its partnership with McDonald’s during one of the biggest events in the Australian sporting calendar: State of Origin — a three-match rugby league series watched by millions across Australia. 

They needed a solution that could be delivered quickly, feel brand-aligned, and resonate with fans.

Having already used Campaignware for other digital activations, the team identified it as the ideal platform to create a co-branded campaign that delivered measurable returns, both for the sponsor and for their fans.

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Macca’s Moment of the Match

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NSWRL used one of Campaignware’s pre-built templates to create Macca’s Moment of the Match — a fan voting campaign run across all six State of Origin games in 2024 (three men’s, three women’s).

Each week, fans were invited to vote on their favourite “moment” from a shortlist of in-game highlights. These moments were branded as Macca’s Moments, giving the sponsor clear, repeatable exposure throughout the series.

The campaign was promoted through:

• Instagram Stories, with swipe-up links driving traffic to the activation
• Co-branded graphics, shared before and after each match
• Short-form video clips and GIFs, featuring the winning moment alongside McDonald’s branding

By repurposing content across multiple channels, NSWRL was able to generate a consistent and meaningful brand presence for McDonald’s that extended beyond traditional advertising. 

The Campaignware platform also made it simple to duplicate and tailor the activation each week — reducing the lift for internal teams while maintaining a high standard of delivery.

“When a partner wants to do more, we move fast. Campaignware made it easy to build something engaging and sponsor-branded in minutes.”

— Nathan Farrugia, Digital Manager, NSW Rugby League

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15% more partnership impressions

Across the six matches, Macca’s Moment of the Match delivered:

• Approximately 1,000 new first-party email addresses
• Strong engagement from fans, with thousands of votes cast
• Most significantly, around 15% of McDonald’s total digital campaign impressions during the Origin period �� all from this single activation

That reach was powered not just by the voting itself, but by the co-branded content ecosystem the campaign created (including match-day visuals, shareable video clips, and branded winner announcements).

[insert images from socials]

This gave McDonald’s a visibly ownable piece of content, far more engaging than a standard logo placement.

“It’s not just about promising eyeballs anymore — we’re offering sponsors a living, breathing piece of content they can be part of.”

— Nathan Farrugia, Digital Manager, NSW Rugby League

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A Blueprint for Commercial Success

Following the success of the 2024 campaign, NSWRL is now looking to package and resell the Macca’s Moment format in 2025. 

With Campaignware, they’ve built not just a one-off solution, but a repeatable digital asset that can be pitched, sold, and delivered with confidence.

More broadly, Campaignware has enabled NSWRL to create a suite of digital products, including team pickers, player votes, and match moments, that can be used as part of broader commercial conversations. These aren’t just social posts or ad placements; they’re interactive, brandable fan experiences that deliver measurable value.

“Campaignware has helped us create digital products — not just posts. We can now go to sponsors with a fully formed activation, ready to go.”

— Nathan Farrugia, Digital Manager, NSW Rugby League

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