Swysh video message gifts: ‘Disaster’ turns to genius business idea

After enduring a “disaster” launch, the company enlisted the help of the Souths star — with spectacular results.

6 min read

September 14, 2023 - 4:06PM

NRL star Cameron Murray. Picture: Instagram.

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In 2019, Michael Roth surprised a close friend with a special video as a wedding gift.

The video message was from none other than Henry Wrinkler, the American actor famed for his iconic role as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days.

“I did it for a bit of fun but the response blew me away. After it was shared across social media, people quickly started contacting me to see how I could get one done for them,” Michael Roth, CEO and founder of Swysh, tells news.com.au.

From that viral video, the idea of Swysh was born.

Swysh is a personalised video service where fans get access to their favourite sports stars like never before. Think of it as Australia’s answer to Cameo, a US-based celebrity video-sharing site, but on Swysh, the focus is on Australia’s greatest passion: sport.

From as little as $20, you can get a bespoke video from your favourite current or former Australian and New Zealand sports stars and athletes across 30 different sports like NRL, AFL, netball, cricket, soccer and more. Basically, they’ve got every Aussie sport you love covered.

Want to try it now? Book your personalised video message by visiting heyswysh.com.

“IT WAS A DISASTER”: HOW SWYSH STARTED

Launching in early 2020 with 10 A-League players, Swysh now boasts over 1500 athletes and celebrities on their platform. This month, they’re expected to deliver around 10,000 video messages to fans across the nation.

Swysh video messaging platform. Image: Swysh

“It has taken a lot of time, love and energy from my team to grow Swysh to where it is today. I’m always grateful to the group of players who signed up before we launched because they simply backed an idea and were willing to give it a shot,” the Sydney-based founder says.

It wasn’t an easy ride. Far from it, in fact. Soon after launch, the Covid pandemic hit.

“It was a disaster for the business and it just halted all of our momentum,” Michael recalls. “For a couple of weeks talent stopped signing up and traffic to our site completely dried up.”

It was a time of great uncertainty but fortunately the tide turned.

“People adapted to living life in a new way. Athletes became completely inaccessible to the fans and they found themselves locked down with free time. When some big NRL stars like Tom Trbojevic and Cameron Murray became available, the response from the fans was pretty instant,” he says.

The 36-year-old found that during the time of intense isolation where much of the country was in lockdown and apart from each other, people were looking for unique ways to connect with and cheer up their loved ones.

“A video message was an easy way to celebrate from afar and put smiles on people’s faces during a really tough period so we found fans were using Swysh to lift each other’s spirits. At that point I knew we had a really special product.”

Michael Roth and South Sydney star Cameron Murray. Image: Swysh

What also sets Swysh apart is that at least 10 per cent of the price of every video purchased goes to local charities.

“Athletes are able to use their profile to easily raise funds for charity and fans feel great knowing that every video supports the community,” Michael says.

“We’re approaching the million dollar mark in donations which is a huge milestone for a business that is only a few years old. It makes us unique and it’s an achievement that we’re incredibly proud of.”

“HEARTFELT” REQUESTS FLOOD IN

A Swysh video makes for a unique gift for any special occasion.

“Usually birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries and so on,” Michael says.

“They’re also often used as a motivational tool for kids or teams.

“They’re completely personalised and we see some really creative and unique ones. We’ve seen pregnancy announcements, proposals, job applications and pre-game pump up speeches.”

A young fan gets a surprise video from AFL star Patrick Dangerfield. Image: Swysh

But there’s one particularly “heartfelt” request that sticks out in Michael’s mind.

“A few years ago Ryan Papenhuyzen was asked to formally request adoption on someone’s behalf. The reaction videos that get sent to us really show how meaningful these video messages can be in people’s lives. Kids scream, grown men cry, mums blush,” he says.

It’s creating these unforgettable moments that will be talked about for years to come that “drives the Swysh team”, Michael says.

“REWARDING” CONNECTION WITH FANS

For NRL superstar Adam Reynolds, it’s the “player-fan connection” that spurred him to sign up with Swysh.

“It’s always great to be able to have an impact or make someone’s day a little bit more special,” Adam tells news.com.au.

NRL star Adam Reynolds joined Swysh to connect with fans. Image: Swysh

A young fan receiving a Swysh video from Broncos captain Adam Reynolds. Image: Swysh

“As a kid this is something I wish I had. Being able to get a message and have that connection with someone you admire and look up to would have been awesome. Not everyone can get to a training session or a game so to be able to book a video message and have that personal connection is pretty cool.”

And for Adam, every video he’s done is special.

“I have done a lot of birthday, Christmas and Father’s Day messages but the ones where the person is doing it a bit tough would have to be the most rewarding ones. I feel extremely grateful to be able to lift someone’s spirits and take their mind off whatever they are going through.”

PERFECT LAST MINUTE FATHER’S DAY GIFT

Just to remind you Father’s Day is this weekend and if you’re struggling to find dad the perfect gift, a surprise personalised video message from his favourite sports hero is sure to guarantee favourite child status.

Michael says they see a huge surge in requests of former players in the lead up to Father’s Day.

“Footy legends like Matthew Richardson, and Anthony Koutoufides are very popular for the dads,” he says.

Reece Walsh is one of the stars available on Swysh. Image: Swysh

Steph Catley from the Matildas is a popular star on Swysh. Image: Swysh

The top talent available for dad include:

NRL – James Tedesco, Reece Walsh, Cameron Murray, Brian To’o, Cameron Munster
NRL legends – Steve Menzies, Darryl Brohman, Willie Mason, Bryan Fletcher
AFL – Scott Pendlebury, Patrick Dadngerfield, Nick Daicos, Sam Draper, Christian Petracca
AFL legends – Joel Selwood, Matthew Richardson, Brendan Fevola, Anthony Koutoufides, Dustin Fletcher
Aussie icons – Michael Clarke, Matt Burke, Archie Thompson, Kyle Chalmers
Global talent – Valtteri Bottas, Bruce Buffer, Michael Essien, Fabrizio Romano
Top female sports stars – Steph Catley, Liz Watson, Caitlin Foord, Bronte Campbell

With videos ranging from 40 to 60 seconds, depending on the nature of the request, Swysh offers express delivery options for people who really leave booking until the last minute for big occasions.

“We guide around five days for delivery, however for big occasions like Father’s Day we see videos delivered much faster. Our stars know how important it is for the fan to get their video message in time,” Michael says.

Plus, in honour of Father’s Day, every video in August will raise funds for men’s health through a partnership with charity, Movember.

As for the most popular stars on Swysh? It changes all the time and generally follows on-field success.

“A few moments stand out when we experienced incredible spikes like when the Panthers won the 2021 Premiership or when Joel Selwood got his fairytale finish in 2022,” Michael says.

“More recently, it’s obviously the Matildas stars who are the most in demand, but Collingwood and Broncos players have been very popular all year round. Rugby league superstar Reece Walsh has topped the charts in 2023. The fans just love him.”

To book a personalised video message for Father’s Day or any occasion, visit heyswysh.com.

More Father’s Day Gift Ideas:

Father’s Day gift guide 2023: Best tech, tools to buy dad