Hear ye, hear ye! Sportspick caps off Wally Lewis campaign with royal event, via Enigma
In a move to celebrate Queensland’s true king – ex-rugby league player, Wally Lewis – SportsPick officially made Lewis’ birthday a public holiday event, via Enigma.
The purpose of the campaign – which was initially announced at the beginning of October – from the aforementioned full-service agency and SportsPick was to encourage Queenslanders to replace the King’s Birthday public holiday with Lewis’ birthday, officially allowing them to take today off from work.
The campaign was topped off by an event held at the Normanby Hotel in Brisbane on Sunday. Not only did Lewis make an appearance at the celebration, but there was also “a SportsPick Punter’s Challenge Tipping Competition”, live music and “a feast for for royalty”.
“This campaign is exactly the kind of work we love—ideas that connect with Australians on a cultural level,” shared Enigma creative director, Matt Ennis.
“This wasn’t just about swapping a public holiday; it was about giving Queenslanders something to rally around—something uniquely theirs. SportsPick gave us the perfect platform to make it happen.
“And let’s face it, Charles was never going to show up in Queensland anyway, so why not throw a party for someone who’s been showing up for us for decades?
“When we pitched this idea to SportsPick, we knew it was audacious, but we also knew Queenslanders would get behind it.”
Entain Venues’ managing director, Mark Sturdy, weighed in on the event and campaign, while speaking highly of Enigma’s ideas and work.
“The idea from Enigma was brilliant, tapping into the true spirit of Queensland loyalty and rallying people behind their real King,” Sturdy said.
“King Charles might have his castles, but Wally’s well and truly had the Normanby yesterday— it was packed to the rafters with fans who know where their loyalty lies. With an electric atmosphere and a national media reach of more than three million, this campaign was a huge success.”
Lewis added: “What a day! I’ve been called ‘The King’ for years, but I never expected an actual coronation—and at The Normanby, of all places!
“It was humbling to see so many Queenslanders turn up, from old mates to new faces, all coming together for a bit of fun and plenty of laughs.
“The vibe was fantastic and I had some good fun with everyone toasting me with a beer and calling me ‘Your Majesty.’ Big thanks to SportsPick and Enigma for pulling this off— we may have to start campaigning for a Wally Lewis public holiday every year after that.”
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.
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