Cathay Pacific is marking the Hong Kong Sevens' 50th anniversary with a campaign that leans into the sport's reputation for intensity.
The work, created by creative arm Leo Hong Kong, builds on the 'Nobody Does Rugby Like Hong Kong' platform for the milestone edition of the tournament, which returns to Kai Tak Sports Park from April 17 to 19.
The 60-second launch film centres on a rugby coach whose idea of match preparation has no boundaries. Scenes show him demanding more out of the squad, and locals alike, roping in everyone from kids practising rugby to a man doing pull-ups at a park. He makes his way through Hong Kong's familiar sights, takes a flight on the airline for the Sevens, and gets transported into the wild, celebratory atmosphere of the stadium.
In the film's final scenes, the coach breaks the fourth wall with a line that makes the campaign's message clear: "Have we taken it too far? Perhaps not far enough."
“We didn’t set out to make another rugby campaign, but to express a Hong Kong truth: the city doesn’t just host the sport, it pushes it over the edge," said João Braga, Publicis Groupe Hong Kong’s global executive creative director. "We wanted this campaign to behave the same way: fast, loud, and impossible to ignore. If it feels a little excessive, that’s exactly the point."
"For decades, our brand has helped to build Hong Kong’s local rugby culture, while flying in overseas fans to experience what’s become the biggest rugby party on the planet," added Edward Bell, general manager, brand, insights and marketing communications, Cathay Pacific.
The campaign launched in December 2025 with a stunt at Twickenham, where Cathay Pacific rebranded The Scrummery, a pub next to Twickenham Rugby Stadium, as 'The Hong Kong Scrummery'.
With foot traffic reaching up to 50,000 on match days, the flag carrier covered the venue in Hong Kong Sevens branding, distributed boarding passes to fans heading to the stadium and placed QR codes on coasters linked to early-bird packages, directly driving bookings.
The campaign spans digital, social and OOH, with activations running globally.
Campaign's take: Leo Hong Kong's choice to edit the film to mirror the fast-paced style of rugby was brilliant, keeping scenes short, dialogue punchy, and the energy relentless. Seven years in, the "Nobody Does Rugby Like Hong Kong" platform still has legs. Cathay's brand role is woven in without being forced as the airline that takes you to where the action is, to a tournament unlike anything else on the calendar.
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific
