How brands showed up at State of Origin - Game 1

The NRL State of Origin is once again proving why it’s one of the most powerful platforms in Australian sport

Jun 04, 2025

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Barry (founded by Bailey Smith, Charlie Curnow, Nick Daicos and Josh Daicos) became the Official Vodka and Agave Partner of the Repco Supercars Championship, and 78 Degrees also became the Official Gin Partner, as part of a 2-year deal

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Fremantle FC announced a new partnership with family-owned smallgoods brand D’Orsogna which joined the Club as the newest Silver Partner

North Melbourne FC welcomed Australian-owned company Orbit Logistics as the official freight forwarding partner of the club’s AFL and AFLW teams

Hawthorn FC secured a new partnership with Asta as its official IT Services Partner which will help the Club establish its integrated IT services at its new state-of-the-art new home, the Kennedy Community Centre

Moorabbin Airport deepened its commitment to St Kilda FC, becoming the club’s official Community Major Partner - This expanded partnership will bring all the Saints’ academy, education and community programs under one unified banner

Europcar extended its partnership with Perth Wildcats for 2 more years which will see its iconic Europcar Blimp continue to float inside RAC Arena on Game Day

Gold Coast Titans announced a new partnership with Narellan Pools which will branch across its NRL and Netball programs

The Dolphins will play a home game at TIO Stadium in Darwin from 2026 - 2028 thanks to a new partnership with the NT Government, replacing a 12-year partnership between the NT Government and Parramatta Eels

Queensland Rugby Union announced a 2-year partnership extension with Niltech Consulting which will see its logo displayed across the back of the playing shorts, training shorts and gym shorts of the Reds’ men and women as well as the Queensland Sevens squad

Canberra-based tech services firm Reason Group extended its support of the UC Capitals WNBL team for a second consecutive season

Netball NSW launched a statewide Flood Appeal in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation aimed at supporting regional netball Associations in northern NSW affected by the devastating May 2025 floods

Cricket Australia (CA) announced a partnership with Partnerbrite to launch CrowdCatch, a cutting-edge ad tech platform that will provide CA partners with more targeted and data-driven marketing while maintaining fan data privacy and consent

Liveheats, an innovative digital platform backed by world champion surfer Joel Parkinson raised $1.3 million to help it accelerate the company's global expansion and product development

A mural of Andrew Gaze and Lauren Jackson was unveiled on the NBL's brand new offices in Melbourne

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NSW Premier Chris Minns and QLD Premier David Crisafulli placed a public bet on the State of Origin - “The losing premier will have to record a new tourism ad for the winning state”

Nike and LEGO announced they’re kicking off their global multi-year partnership with a series of immersive experiences and co-branded products - first up, LEGO unveiled a 1,180-piece “Nike Dunk Set” and Nike launched LEGO themed sneakers

Virat Kohli (third most followed athlete on Instagram) became a strategic investor in the World Bowling League, a league looking to transform traditional bowling into a mainstream spectator sport

Pinterest made its first entry into sports sponsorship, signing a new deal with the WNBA’s New York Liberty

Former OKC Thunder NBA player Russell Westbrook, was named as the creative director for a new sports-themed entertainment district planned for downtown Oklahoma City

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How brands showed up at State of Origin Game 1

In 2025, The NRL State of Origin is once again proving why it’s one of the most powerful platforms in Australian sport. Not just for the spectacle on the field, but for the cultural and commercial momentum it generates off it.

The significance of State of Origin (SOO) is evident via its key performance metrics from Game 1:

Broadcast

Game 1 drew a Total TV national reach of 5,449,000 and an average audience of 3,755,000 (almost +10% YoY)
It was the most watched program on BVOD in 2025
*YTD viewership of the NRL premiership is up 4.2% on record breaking 2024 numbers

Digital

28.6 million+ social impressions on NRL Channels
1 million+ Google searches for State of Origin in the 24 hours surrounding the event

Attendance

52,000+ at Suncorp Stadium

State of Origin is built off pride, emotion and rivalry, and combined with the massive reach it generates, its one of Australia’s most attractive sports properties for brands to become associated with. Why?

According to Nine:

NRL viewers are 76% more likely to be aware of brands that sponsor the NRL in broadcast*
NRL viewers are 215% more likely to consider sponsor brands exclusively*
Brands in subsequent years of sponsorship experience an 84% increase in brand perception, compared to first year

*Compared to the Gemba broadcast benchmark Gemba NRL Sponsorship results 2020-2023

Battle of the brands

In the lead up, during and post-game 1, brands showed up in various creative ways to showcase their sponsorships, investing heavily in unique campaigns across paid, owned, and earned channels in an attempt to stand out and connect with fans.

Here are some State of Origin-themed brand campaigns worth noticing:

Westpac Maroons Clubhouse

Just outside Suncorp Stadium on the iconic Caxton Street, Gemba, Westpac, and Queensland Rugby League joined forces to turn The Lord Alfred Hotel’s Verandah Bar into the ultimate Maroons fan hub.

The space was decked out with striking QRL-themed décor, including a giant QRL jersey, glass player decals, bunting, coasters, bar mats, table decals and scrim along the balcony and wall-of-fame inspired artwork.

Watch the video here
View more photos here

No alternative text description for this image — Image credit: Ariella Levy, Gemba

Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter

Westpac announced that it’s also donating $5,000 to the Westpac rescue helicopter (which turned blue) service for every try scored by both the Westpac NSW Blues Men’s and Women’s teams throughout the series.

McDonalds launched its limited edition Blues and Maroons meals

As sponsors of both the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons, Maccas has created bespoke meals that are available in NSW and ACT restaurants for Blues fans, and in Queensland and the Northern Territory for Maroons fans.

McDonald's launches State of Origin Meals via DDB Group Sydney

The initiative (delivered in partnership with DDB Group Sydney) is being supported by a 7-week integrated campaign running across TV, online video, digital, radio, in-store, OOH, social, and broadcast integration across Nine, Fox League, Triple M and more.

Back-and-forth banter between Queensland’s Jonathan Thurston and NSW’s Nathan Hindmarsh across social media has also been a key campaign feature.

McDonald’s x SEN

SEN launched two new shows in partnership with McDonald’s giving fans even more Origin content in the lead-up to each game:

“Macca’s True Blue” - hosted by Jimmy Smith and diving deep into all things Blues
“Macca’s Mighty Maroons” - hosted by Scott Sattler and covering everything Queensland

PUMA celebrates 30th anniversary of ‘Queenslander’ chant with a special tribute

To activate its sponsorship of Queensland Rugby League and celebrate the 5th year of its partnership, PUMA launched a campaign (via Bursty) to commemorate the ‘Queenslander’ chant with a focus on two characters that are at the centre of the chant – E and R.

As part of this campaign, PUMA:

Created a tribute content piece involving famous Queenslander chanter, Billy Moore, and 1995 teammate Craig Teevan - view it here

Unveiled giant E and R statues outside Suncorp Stadium alongside other Maroons legendary characters – Beetson, Langer, Lewis and Lockyer. The E and R statues will also tour key locations in QLD for fans to pay their respects and grab a selfie
Rebranded itself from 'PUMA' to 'PUMER' across various platforms during the Origin series

The campaign has captured coverage from the likes of Nine and Triple M to date.

adidas celebrated its new partnership with NSW Rugby League

adidas recently became the Official Apparel and Footwear Partner of the NSW Rugby League, and as part of the long-term deal it’s become visible across the men’s and women’s Westpac NSW Origin team playing and training kits.

To celebrate the announcement adidas created a number of creative clips across social media:

In April, it launched its new NSW State of Origin jersey at an exclusive event - view it here

The reviews of the new jersey have been mixed, with Adam Cosgrove, Chief Revenue Officer at Manly Warringah Sea Eagles suggesting that it’s become a “media backdrop” - link here

NSW Blues 2025 Mens Home Jersey - View 1

XXXX showed its Queensland pride in many ways..

There’s no better way for XXXX to reinforce itself as a Queensland-centric beer brand than through its longstanding, and iconic sponsorship of the Queensland Rugby League and QLD Maroons.

Queenslanders are fiercely proud of their state and team, and XXXX has successfully created a powerful emotional connection with fans over time thanks to some creative tactics around its high-profile sponsorship.

To help drum up excitement for National Rugby League State of Origin Game 1, it showed up in multiple ways worth noticing:

Flew giant 4m-tall inflatable cans of XXXX GOLD beer over the Brisbane River using drones, attracting earned media coverage

Player postcodes on Jerseys - For a 4th year running, the XXXX logo on the Maroons jersey has been replaced with each player’s chosen postcode
Unveiled an AI Chat Bot app called “Fatty Says” that syncs with the broadcast feed and instantly drops Fatty’s commentary about what’s taking place on-field
Released limited edition XXXX GOLD Pride in Your Origin cans which feature a number from 0-9 that can be used to make up one of Queensland’s 447 postcodes
Launched a massive giveaway, giving fans the chance to win over $2 million in instant prizes and cash once they’ved purchased a specially marked carton of XXXX Gold
Queensland Maroons Long Lunch 2025 - XXXX was the presenting partner of the large-scale event which took place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

*2025 isn't the first time XXXX has used larger than life sized beer cans to leverage its sponsorship and stand out – they’ve been a key campaign feature in previous years.

XXXX has built a strong reputation for running successful State of Origin integrated sponsorship campaigns over recent years, and its recently been recognised for this - its "Postcodes of Origin" campaign (via Thinkerbell) recently picked up the WARC Gold Award for Effectiveness.

Why it matters:

By showing up in multiple formats, from jersey design to packaging, outdoor, digital, events, and broadcast, XXXX ensures its brand is unmissable and culturally embedded into a peak Queensland moment.

Related: State of Origin XXXX sponsorship

Victoria Bitter’s Very Bitter Tissues

VB launched its “Very Bitter Tissues” State of Origin Campaign across PR, content, and social media to help fuel the fire between NSW and QLD, in partnership with Akcelo.

Victoria Bitter launches ‘Very Bitter Tissues’ for State of Origin fans in new campaign via Akcelo

At the core of the campaign are the “Very Bitter Tissues” that fans can give to their mates when their team loses.

The design of the boxes includes:

Opposing Origin colours - half-blue, half-maroon
Heartfelt messages of support like “Sorry for your loss,” “You tried your best,” and “Chin up, Champ.”
A tissue box lid that doubles as a beer coaster (for a post-match VB)

Origin greats Bryan Fletcher and Matt Rogers helped dial up the rivalry:

Matt Rogers video here
Bryan Fletcher video here

The mechanic to claim the limited edition tissue box: Fans (+18) who pre-registered and picked the winning team receive an email to order their free tissue box.

Tooheys x NSW Govenrment

Tooheys hosted an event at NSW Parliament to celebrate the NSW Blues Men's and Women's teams, the longstanding partnership with Tooheys, and the partnership between Lion and NSW Rugby League more broadly.

Fox Sports Australia hosted an All-star panel in front of over 100 guests which included NSW Premier Chris Minns and dozens of NSW Parliamentarians, including Ministers and Shadow Ministers.

Video the here

Great Northern bar experience at Suncorp Stadium

In partnership with TGI Sport Australia, Great Northern ensured a strong stadium presence via its striking bar experience for fans.

Star Casino built “The Blues Room”

Star Casino has built a one-of-a-king State of Origin fan experience, and a space that serves as a “shrine to the Blues” - view the video here

This ‘ultimate fan cave’ features:

Bespoke in-room dining menu, featuring all your footy feed favourites — from loaded burgers to next-level game-day snacks
Exclusive memorabilia, iconic Origin moments, and the spirit of the Blues' legacy
Bold cyberpunk styling, neon-lit energy, and gaming tech

Fans who stay get to take home official Blues robes and slippers.

Creative QLD Maroons Squad announcement

Following on from its success in 2024, Personalised Plates Queensland helped name the 2025 Maroons squad in a creative and unique way - view the video here.

Personalised Plates Queensland’s creative also features on the back of the players training apparel.

Other State of Origin-themed brand campaigns worth noticing:

Budgey Smuggler created a QLD State of Origin 2025 range
Rebel Sport collaborated with Queensland Rugby League to launch a limited edition Indigenous ball that will see 50% of all profits donated to the Arthur Beetson Foundation
Ancestry returned as an official partner with a campaign that encourages fans to “Discover your Origin” via in-stadium signage, a national media campaign and exclusive offers
Ford Australia gave away a Ford Ranger Raptor to a lucky Maroons Member
Hyundai is exclusively offering NSW Rugby League members up to $1,000 cashback on selected new Hyundai vehicles
In the lead up to Game 1, NSW Rugby League welcomed GIO Insurance as a major partner - as part of a multi-year deal GIO has naming rights to GIO Team Picker, an interactive fan engagement tool that allows fans to select their preferred team lineup

For brands, State of Origin isn’t just a media opportunity.

It’s a cultural canvas - From creative physical activations to AI-powered fan experiences, this year’s campaigns have shown how sponsorships can be leveraged in increasingly inventive and emotionally resonant ways.

The NRL State of Origin is one of the most significant events on the Australian sporting calendar. While it's a battle between just two states, its impact is truly national, captivating audiences across the country with growing intensity each year.

The strong commitment from the brands above delivers mutual benefits

The high-level of creativity and investment shown from the brands above not only helps deliver returns to the sponsor, it helps build the hype for the game and helps the NRL extend its reach and cultural relevance, which ultimately helps draw more fans in.

Which State of Origin brand campaign was your favourite?