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Richie McCaw with the Bledisloe Cup - Source: Reuters -
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To be honest, it was the zebra that first caught my attention - those black and white stripes being roughed up by all those rugby boots.
The zebra of course is part of the Investec logo. And Investec, the South African company happy to manage your personal wealth, has naming rights to the Tri Nations rugby series. You know what it's like once you notice something like this - suddenly Investec logos and signage jump out from everywhere. As well as being in the middle of the ground, it was on the flags down the sideline, it was attached to the Tri Nations logo, it featured on the rolling digital advertising down the sideline, and it was even on the ball itself.
Oblivious to the on-field action, I was engrossed in my own game.
We were watching the Bledisloe match on Sky, and because the coverage changes from wide shots of the ground to close-ups of the rugby action, the home viewer doesn't always get a clear shot of the signage. All the same, there was plenty to watch and plenty to write down.
For those unsure of where the venue was, it was re-assuring to see in large letters on the field Christchurch - The Garden City. For those unsure who currently has naming rights to what used to be Lancaster Park - Keep on smiling with AMI - gave them a clue.
Ford and Telecom were also hard to miss. As an All Black spokesman pointed out later - in this day and age of professional sport, it costs a lot to pay for everything and keep the show on the road.
The Vero bull was charging down the sideline interspersed with signs telling me that "Rexona won't let you down." Steinlagers been "standing by the All Blacks since 1986". I can move with Mainfreight, insure with Iveco and if you didn't already know "Gallaghers are number one in security."
When it comes to money - I could pay for it all on Mastercard. Metalcraft Roofing rolled by. So did a bit of All Blacks self promotion. According to McDonalds "I'm loving it", and to be honest, I was.
But the family got worried when the Hadlee Stand appeared for the first time - "my god, look at all that!" There was so much advertising it was truly bewildering. Businesses were getting exposure in exchange for buying a corporate box. There were too many to write down before the shot changed, and so it went on.
There were signs and logos everywhere - big ones, small ones. Adidas was wrapped around the goalposts. We had the "Paul Kelly stand", Bunnings, Kiwibank, Novus and Nandos. I'm now thinking now - where did Crown Lift Trucks come in? More FM, GJ Gardner Homes, Taylors Drycleaning? It was impossible to catch them all. Some were too high to read, some too small. I remember Speights and Tui. This was thirsty work.
Every now and then a little Hyundai ball circled in the top right hand corner of our television screen - the South Korean car manufacturer also getting a plug when the match statistics appeared.
As the All Blacks tightened their grip on the Bledisloe Cup, suddenly something new flashed up in pink. "Did you see that? ENZED - what did it say about them?" It happened again as players were substituted. "See. There - Investec written along the top of the substitution cards!"
Air New Zealand was there, somewhere. And according to his shirt, the referee flew Emirates and the Wallabies were promoting Qantas. The helpful All Black spokesman pointed out that apart from a small Adidas logo, the All Black jersey is one of the few to remain advertising free - which is true. He pointed out there's quite a lot of advertising on the TVNZ website - which is also true. You really can't escape it these days. I just hadn't realised how cluttered it's become.
Next day we sat down to watch the netball. My eyes lit up and I reached for my notebook to start all over again. "No mum!" someone said in a stern voice. "Can we please just watch the game!"
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