QBE backs local businesses in new Swans, Swifts campaign

Insurance giant QBE is strengthening its ties to Sydney's sporting community with a new campaign that speaks directly to local residents and small business owners about the importance of protection against life's unexpected moments.

Launched this week by creative agency The Core Agency, the campaign features players from both the Sydney Swans and NSW Swifts in six short stories that capture everyday scenarios gone awry—a car window shattered during practice, an electrical surge during a match, situations that catch households and businesses off guard.

The initiative marks a significant moment for both sports. QBE recently recommitted as a principal partner to the NSW Swifts, reinforcing the insurer's long-standing support for women's sport in the state, while the Swans partnership reflects decades of connection to elite sport across Sydney.

"Drawing on our long-standing association and continued support of the Sydney Swans and NSW Swifts, this campaign illustrates whether it's for home, car or business, QBE Insurance has cover for the things we expect, as well as for the things we don't," said David Hirsch, head of marketing and insights at QBE Australia Pacific.

For many Sydney residents juggling home and car insurance alongside business operations, the campaign offers a practical reminder. Small business owners across NSW are increasingly confronted with gaps in coverage—workplace accidents, property damage, and unexpected disruptions that can derail operations for months. By grounding these real-world vulnerabilities in moments featuring familiar local sports personalities, QBE positions insurance as practical planning rather than bureaucratic fine print.

NSW Swifts players Maddy Turner, Maddy Proud, and Paige Hadley appear alongside Sydney Swans stars Nick Blakley, Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, and Chloe Molloy. Their participation lends authentic local presence to the message—these are athletes who live and work in the community, not distant spokespeople.

The campaign rolls out across platforms where Sydney and NSW audiences spend time: Foxtel Go, Kayo, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. That media strategy reflects QBE's confidence that residents respond better to community-driven messaging than corporate abstraction.

What emerges from the push is a clear signal: QBE sees Sydney and NSW as more than a checkbox in a national strategy. The insurer is betting that residents and business owners value protecting what matters locally, and that sports partnerships are the authentic way to make that case.