Giant name for GWS

On Tuesday 16 November, in front of an audience of more than 900 guests and supporters, the AFL’s newest Club, officially unveiled its name – The Greater Western Sydney Giants.

“Being a Giant is about thinking big, living big and playing big! It’s about having the courage, commitment and determination to follow your dreams – sharing a bold ambition and taking risks to become the best that we can be. That is the origins of this club and will be forever part of our culture,” said Dale Holmes, Club CEO.

“The Greater Western Sydney Giants will become synonymous with the region, its spirit, determination and aspirations, seizing every opportunity to be a great Club in the future.

 “This is a huge moment for the AFL, the Club, the players and the community.  Over the last two years we have steadily built the foundations of a strong and vibrant club for the next 20 years.

“The Giants will be an exciting club to follow, creating opportunities and promoting optimism for kids in the region.”

The Giants underwent an extensive six month community campaign to determine the name and colours of the Club, involving on-line suggestions, school competitions and  newspaper polls. More than 200 schools across the region, submitted over 7,000 suggestions, with the campaign receiving more than 20,000 suggestions from the public.

All the prospective names were assessed against stringent criteria, as well as comprehensive market research, internal and external stakeholder workshops, club workshops and focus groups to test the most popular names.

One of the recurring themes from the focus groups and stakeholder workshops was the collective pride and big aspirations of the region, as well as the progressive and inclusive nature of the people of Greater Western Sydney.

“We realised that if we wanted to capture the hearts and minds of the people of Greater Western Sydney we needed to have a bold and ambitious name – The Greater Western Sydney Giants are synonymous with the aspirations for the Club.

Twenty two of the Giants’ new players proudly took to the stage, revealing the Club’s two potential playing strips for 2011, and the Club’s colours – Orange, Charcoal and White, with NSW Blue to feature in the away jumpers.

Following the unveiling of two different playing strips, the Giants will again ask their supporters to make a choice and select their preferred jumper for the team to run out in 2011, through an online poll at www.gwsgiants.com.au.

In an historic night for the Club, the Giants also revealed its first co-major sponsor with Škoda Australia coming on board in a three year deal as the Giants’ top tier Premier Partner.

Škoda will also become the naming rights sponsor for the soon to be redeveloped Sydney Showground’s main arena, for all Giants games, from 2012.

Giants Chairman Tony Shepherd said that collaborative partnerships with key businesses were fundamental to the success and the long-term sustainability of the Club.

“To attract a multinational like Škoda, is a clear indication that corporate Australia is recognising the opportunity that exists in this booming region, and with the Club.

“This partnership is a great opportunity for both our brands, and we look forward to working closely with Škoda, our premier partner.”

The Giants will now embark on their first pre season as they prepare for the NAB Cup in February, and the community will get their first look at the team during their inaugural training session on Thursday 18 November at Blacktown Olympic Park, from 4pm.

Brand Rationale

Name – Greater Western Sydney Giants
• Represents Greater Western Sydney, along with our wider catchment zone of the ACT, South Coast and Southern NSW.
• Reflects the values of the people – Proud, progressive, inclusive and aspiring community, with an eye on the future.
• Big & bold & inspirational – representing the vast geography and limitless potential of the region.
• Unique in the Australian sporting landscape.

Colours – Orange, Charcoal, White and  blue
• From an AFL perspective we needed to ensure that the colours were unique in the existing competition, as well as being easily recognisable against other Clubs, and on field.
• From a GWS perspective we looked to the colours of the environs – the Western sunset, the Blue Mountains, the granite of the Great Dividing Range.