The Brisbane Bullets opened their Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season at Pat Rafter Arena in front of a sell-out crowd, but the full house didn’t happen just because the venue was a first. Sunny Advertising led the multi-channel digital push that turned event curiosity into actual ticket demand.
The result
It was the first basketball fixture ever held at Pat Rafter Arena, and it was played with the roof open under the stars. The Bullets rewarded the packed house by overturning a double-figure deficit to beat the New Zealand Breakers 88-85.
Why the sellout happened
Sunny Advertising CEO Sarah McNeil framed the win as a test of modern sports marketing. A one-off venue can generate attention, but attention alone doesn’t fill seats. As she put it: ‘A fixture like this doesn’t sell itself just because it’s held in a novelty venue.’
The agency’s digital team worked with the Bullets’ internal team and media partners to build anticipation for open-air basketball at one of Brisbane’s most iconic venues, then convert that curiosity into box-office demand.
The playbook for sports marketers
McNeil’s description maps directly onto a performance marketing funnel. The campaign used different media channels for different jobs: awareness for the venue story, retargeting for fans who engaged, and direct response for ticket purchase.
- Anchor creative on the unique experience—open-air basketball under the stars—not just a home game.
- Run multi-channel digital with a clear path from curiosity to purchase.
- Track the full-house multiplier: atmosphere, membership and merchandise all rise on game day.
What it means for your campaigns
For marketers outside sport, the lesson is the same. Novelty gets the scroll; a conversion plan gets the sale. Segment channels by intent, retarget engaged audiences, and make the final click about urgency—limited seats, first-time event, or an experience you can’t replicate.
Sunny Advertising’s growing sports division also suggests a durable niche. The agency counts the Dolphins, Sunshine Coast Lightning and SANFL among clients, and it has been reappointed by Brisbane Heat for a third straight season. Live sport is becoming a serious performance marketing category.
A simple framework: curiosity-to-ticket
Think of this campaign as a three-stage funnel. Top-of-funnel content presents the venue story: first ever basketball game, open roof, under the stars. Middle-of-funnel ads retarget people who watched or engaged, with creative that reinforces the difference. Bottom-of-funnel ads push conversion: limited tickets, one-night-only experience. Each channel has a specific job, otherwise you end up with reach and no revenue.
It’s a structure any event marketer can apply: launch novelty for reach, use behavioural data for retargeting, and reserve direct response budgets for the final push.
The Bullets host the JackJumpers at home this Saturday, and the agency is betting the momentum continues.
Source: Campaign Brief
