Adidas and New Zealand Rugby Union worked together with agencies Whybin TBWA NZ and 180 Amsterdam to produce the award-winning promotion, Bonded By Blood. On May 31, 2006, the 39 members of the All Blacks team gathered to shoot photography for the annual poster, 45,000 copies of which were to be made available for fans. The team was to be shown performing a traditional haka (Maori war dance). Under the sponsorship of Adidas the All Blacks went a step further in their connection with the fans. The advertising team worked with NZ Blood Service to take blood samples from each of the players, sterilizing it before combining it with the ink used to print 8000 commemorative All Blacks posters. The Bonded By Blood posters were given to those who purchased an All Blacks jersey.

Watch a video about the poster and the process with the All Blacks on YouTube - https://youtu.be/mSfO8jkXZMk

Acknowledgements

Jonathan Lawrie, Dai Richards (World Rugby Museum),

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