EA and Bolster unite sport and gaming for Battlefield 6 launch
Electronic Arts and Bolster Group have brought together AFL and NRL stars to celebrate the shared intensity of sport and gaming in Battlefield 6’s Australian and New Zealand launch.
The announcement:
Electronic Arts Inc. has teamed up with entertainment marketing specialists Bolster Group to launch Battlefield 6 across Australia and New Zealand, connecting two worlds that share similar DNA: sport and gaming.
The campaign brought together the AFL’s Hawthorn Football Club and the NRL’s Canterbury Bulldogs to showcase how teamwork, resilience and tactical brilliance on the field mirror the squad-based intensity of Battlefield 6.
Hawthorn’s hero film features senior coach Sam Mitchell delivering an all-time rev up to his star players including fan favourite Mabior Chol, All-Australian defender Josh Battle (yes – that’s his real name) and team captain James Sicily, one of the AFL’s most noted gamers. The creative twist? They’re not heading out onto the field, but into the loungeroom for a squad battle in-game.
For the NRL video, Bulldogs club legend Willie Mason returned to the club to remind a group of emerging stars – Bronson Xerri, Harry Hayes and Bailey Hayward – to play the f&*!@king objective, fusing Battlefield terminology with rugby league.
“This wasn’t your standard sports campaign,” said Darren Levin, GM of marketing solutions at Bolster Group. “It was cinematic, story-led, and full of passion. We wanted to show that the same intensity that drives athletes on the field fuels players in Battlefield 6 too. The Hawks and Bulldogs more than understood the assignment.”
The campaign formed part of Battlefield 6’s record-breaking global rollout. Battlefield 6 has broken all sorts of franchise records, going on to sell over seven million copies in its first three days, with 172 million matches played and more than 15 million hours watched across streaming platforms during launch weekend.
On a local front, the Hawks and Bulldogs content rolled out across each partner’s full social ecosystem, delivering 2-million views in its first week alone. The content quickly gained traction, with footy’s biggest creator Dan Gorringe posting the campaign organically to his Dan Does Footy channels on Instagram and TikTok, amplifying the message to hundreds of thousands of fans.
As part of the collaboration, Battlefield 6 also came on board as the official AFL Trade Week partner for the Hawthorn Football Club; a first-of-its-kind integration that extended the campaign beyond the launch moment.
Dan Hamer, head of commercial partnerships and growth at Hawthorn Football Club, said: “We have a vibrant young supporter base, so partnering with an iconic brand like Electronic Arts Inc. on a triple-A release such as Battlefield 6 really aligned with a significant segment of our social media presence. Being able to integrate Battlefield 6 IP throughout launch week during the AFL Trade Period was a well-timed and well-executed opportunity thanks to our marketing and partnerships teams here at the club. We’ve seen an incredible response from fans across the league because it’s a little bit different from what clubs have done in the past. Excited to see what we can build next!”
Byron Geddes, head of partnerships at Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, said: “Our partnership with Electronic Arts Inc. for the Battlefield 6 launch demonstrated the immense power of combining sport and gaming. The campaign exceeded our expectations, generating authentic engagement from our fan base and proving that when two passionate communities unite, the results speak for themselves.”
Credits
Client: EA Sports
Alexander Kirk, Marketing and Communications Manager – ANZ
Ben Seccombe, Marcom Manager (Shooter/FPS) – ANZ
Charlotte Marsh, Engagement Manager – ANZ
Ethan White, Asia Territory Marketing InternAgency: Bolster Group
Darren Levin, GM of Marketing Solutions (Bolster Group)
Erin Flanagan, Head of Project Delivery (Bolster Group)
Alex Light, GM of Partnerships (Bolster Group)
Sophie Bloomfield, Senior Creative Project Manager
Tim White, Director (Bulldogs video)
Michael Mouritz, Director (Hawks video)Partner: Hawthorn Football Club
Dan Hamer, Head of Commercial Partnerships & GrowthPartner: Canterbury Bulldogs
Byron Geddes, Head of Partnerships
Craig Manning, Business Development Manager
Source: Common State
