Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 – Go All Out!

Launch Spot

Big idea. Small scale. Serious craft.

When an Australia-based production company, Photoplay, approached us during the pitch phase for the Rugby World Cup 2027 global launch spot, the ambition was clear. Create a film that feels epic and irreverent, celebrating fandom at full throttle.

To bring that vision to life in post, we proposed Motif as the perfect partner from our studio stable. Motif brings exceptional VFX capabilities, an offbeat sensibility, and a flair for the fantastical - all qualities that aligned perfectly with the irreverent, attention-grabbing tone the script called for. And their post-experience working with George Miller on “Mad Max: Fury Road” meant that they understood the “Thunderdome” inspired world.

The Challenge

From the outset, we helped shape a production approach that leaned into practical ingenuity. A convoy of fan-built vehicles tearing through the Australian landscape, packed with character, humour, and detail. The film needed to feel quirky and cinematic at the same time, something along the lines of “Thor: Love and Thunder” - with a fan twist.

Early internal discussions explored multiple production routes, from virtual stages to large-scale builds and full-size vehicles. Each came with trade-offs in flexibility, budget, and authenticity. The challenge was finding a solution that preserved realism while still allowing for ambitious storytelling in the agency, Akcelo’s epic script.

The Approach

Inspired by a casual reference to a home video that the director, Scott Otto Anderson, had shot of a toy car crashing for his son, Motif greenlit an alternative route. Shoot custom-built miniature vehicles in-camera and scale the world up in post. The idea was bold, playful, and rooted in classic filmmaking craft. It also unlocked creative freedom. This miniature-led approach ultimately won the pitch, aided by Motifs' track record with photoreal vehicles, complex compositing, creatures, crowds, and a proven ability to deliver Hollywood level work.

The Process

Production operated at a 1-to-10 scale, with intricately constructed miniature vehicles shot practically, supported by studio and location shoots for the cast.

Fans, flags, and performers were filmed separately and later scaled, tracked, and composited into the miniature world. Motif’s post team handled an enormous amount of detailed compositing work, integrating hundreds of individually tracked elements to ensure everything felt grounded and physically present. Alongside this, the team delivered CG vehicle enhancements, creature animation for the lizard, and a fully realised CG storm system, all designed to support the practical plates rather than overpower them. The post schedule for the hero one-minute spot was intense, spanning only twelve focused weeks with a director known for his precision and high standards.

Says Craig Hunter Parker, VFX Supervisor and Lead Compositor:

“For the Rugby World Cup 2027 Australia Men's TVC, we looked at what could be best achieved given the concept and the obvious inspiration behind it.

Having worked on over 120 VFX shots for Mad Max - Fury Road, the team at Motif found ourselves having to put on that familiar cap of figuring things out in a cost-effective and creative way. By choosing an option to build the vehicles in miniatures, we were able to spend more time crafting the shots and adding VFX to the bigger scenes, as well as devote time to compositing our live-action extras and rugby players into every environment.

By doing scans and building some of the additional vehicles in 3d (such as the mecha and the wallaby) we were able to merge the various disciplines of filmmaking to achieve not only a high-end and very ambitious result but also a fun and rewatchable commercial that brings all kinds of audiences and spectators around the world together."

The Results

The film launched as the centrepiece of the Rugby World Cup 2027 global campaign and quickly gained major momentum across broadcast, digital and social platforms. On World Rugby’s official YouTube channel, the launch film and related campaign content surpassed 250,000 views within the first weeks. Across short-form social platforms including Instagram, TikTok and X, campaign clips and cutdowns generated an estimated 15 to 20 million views.

Beyond views, Akcelo’s Agency's campaign translated into tangible audience action. Ticket registration interest accelerated following the campaign launch and official pool draw, contributing to a record-breaking pace of early registrations for Australia 2027.

Signpost Teaser

Clothesline Teaser

Lizard Teaser