On the 30th anniversary of the most iconic rugby league advertising campaign in history, the NRL have officially relaunched an updated version of Tina Turner's 'Simply The Best' for the upcoming season.
Tina Turner, 80, was the face of rugby league in the late 80s and early 90s, with her hit song becoming forever synonymous with the game and community. The NRL has brought the tune back, updating it with today's stars, as well as giving a nod to some of the sport’s most iconic moments from the past three decades.
NRL ‘Simply The Best’ 2020 Commercial
The new ad starts with a young Cameron Smith sitting in his loungeroom in 1990 watching the original ad before rolling through some of the great moments in Grand Finals gone by. Reflects on the biggest stories of the past three decades, from Darren Albert's try in 1997 for Newcastle to Johnathan Thurston's golden-point field goal against Brisbane in 2015, the video has it all!
The video also highlights some of today's biggest stars including the Trbojevic brothers, Tyson Frizell and Latrell Mitchell, who’s cameo is accompanied by a 10-year girl singing the chorus of the song, as the Souths superstar stands in the water with the Inidgenous flag draped over his shoulders.
Turner has reportedly given the new version a thumbs up, and according to NRL CEO Todd Greenberg is happy to be back as part of the greatest game of all.
“Rugby league in Australia is still Simply The Best and that will be our theme for 2020,’’ NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said.
“This campaign celebrates the best on and off field moments in our game over the last 30 years and acknowledges some of the challenges we have overcome. It also reflects on the impact of rugby league in Australian communities and how our game, like no other, brings communities and cultures together.”
Here’s a reminder of where the collaborative campaign started back in 1990:
Listen to Tina Turner on Spotify:
Listen to Tina Turner on Apple Music: