Het Commentaarhokkie
Background
Hockey is by no means an unknown sport in the Netherlands, and the Dutch are exceptionally good at it. Despite winning double gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the sport is losing ground among younger audiences. With the FIH Hockey World Cup taking place in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2026, it created a unique opportunity: a chance for hockey fans to be there in person, and a valuable moment to engage non-fans with the sport. Megawatt was asked to develop an activation concept that would increase awareness and affection for hockey, particularly among a younger target group that does not currently have the sport high on its list.
Approach
Well-trodden paths are safe and often lead to predictable results. Megawatt preferred to colour outside the lines and therefore proposed a completely different approach. We developed Het CommentaarHokkie: a specially converted caravan that would appear at various locations across the country in the run-up to the World Cup. From this caravan, stereotypes about hockey were put under the microscope and either confirmed or definitively debunked through raw, honest interviews and challenging tasks.
The campaign leaned into self-mockery and featured a striking collaboration with 17-year-old YouTuber and interviewer Bender (Benjamin Buit). Bender is known for his critical, often humorous reporting and is not the kind of voice you would expect in this setting. His followers sit squarely within the audience the KNHB finds hardest to reach. In a long-form video on his own channel, Bender investigated the sport in his signature style. In addition, a series of short snippets was shared via Bender’s account and hockey.nl. Megawatt also developed additional content, which was used across hockey.nl channels to further expand the campaign’s reach and visibility.
Result
Influencer marketing played a central role in this campaign. By using Bender as an influencer, we were able to tap into his reach, credibility and engaged community to connect with the target audience in an authentic way. Supported by snippets across multiple channels and additional content, influencer marketing became an integral part of the 360-degree campaign, with different channels and content formats reinforcing one another and contributing to greater reach and impact. With more than 2 million views and counting, plenty of engagement and a wave of positive publicity, there is no doubt that taking the plunge delivered even more than expected. Whether ticket sales will soar in the same way as the campaign remains to be seen in mid-August, but one thing is already clear: this unconventional approach has paid off.
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