New Voltaren Marketing Campaign Featuring All Black Ben Smith Launches

4 July 2017, 12:25AM
Impact PR

A new advertising campaign, featuring Ben Smith and students from his former school, King’s High School, will launch today.

Dunedin-born Smith recently captained the All Blacks to a convincing win against Manu Samoa.
As part of the campaign, Smith trained with King’s High School’s First XV and told them a strong work ethic and planning are essential to a successful career in rugby. He also caught up with his former coach Richard Lindsay.

The Voltaren TVC featuring Smith will run from tonight supported by a digital media campaign for the anti-inflammatory medicine featuring a number of the students.

Tania Newman from GSK Consumer Healthcare says being able to leverage their relationship with the All Blacks and players was a key marketing advantage for the brand.

“Our current supplier partnership with the All Blacks provides immediate recognition for consumers. This campaign was created to bring to life Voltaren, a product designed to help relieve the pain and inflammation which can result from high impact sports like rugby.

“We were fortunate to be able to work with Ben and have him talk about what motivated him in his career,” Newman says.

Smith’s advice for current King’s High School students when he returned to his old school to film the TVC was to “keep pursuing” their dreams.

“Coaches and teachers at the time when I was at King’s played a massive part of who I am. I enjoyed everything about rugby, getting in alongside your mates and making sure we were trying to improve. Not much has changed apart from probably the skill level has gone up a bit,” said Smith.

“Whatever sport it is, or even if it's not sport, just to go for it because if you’re passionate about something that can probably take you a long way,” he says.

Smith said a number of King’s High School former students were influential in shaping his own ambition.
“I had a few heroes growing up and a few of them went to King’s - Carl Hayman, Brownie [Tony Brown] who is now coaching the Highlanders. Brendon McCullum - the way he plays cricket, he gets out there and is pretty aggressive and l like that approach.

“I was lucky to be a part of King’s High, a pretty good time in your life and I made some good memories. It's great to have that support and that’s what life’s about - having good family and friends,” says Smith.
King’s High School Rector, Dan Reddiex, who remembers Smith from school says even back then Smith showed he had the willingness to be the best.

“Ben would run 10 kilometres after a rugby game - he showed us if you want to be the best that's what it takes - the willingness to go beyond what other people are willing to do,” says Reddiex.

Voltaren (diclofenac) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug taken or applied to treat inflammation of muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments, due to trauma (eg. sports injuries, sprains and strains); soft tissue rheumatism and localised rheumatic conditions (eg. bursitis; tendinitis).

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