In the run up to the All Ireland Football final we continue our look at how each of the three main sponsors have activated their relationship throughout the summer with one of the highlights of the sporting year.
At the start of the year SuperValu announced that this year’s GAA campaign was to be more closely associated with it’s quality food promotion.
It has used a blend of mainstream and social media to make the association and has made a good job of associating the brand and the stores with the stars of summer.
The first element of the campaign was a TV ad featuring Bernard Brogan. This placed the brand firmly as a community based organisation and spoke of the additional value for the local economy that came from shopping with an Irish store.
Clearly aimed at Lidl, Aldi and Tesco the campaign sought throughout to paint the brand as being as much a part of what it is to be Irish as following the Championships.
While the ad ran through the summer it was on social media that the agencies were being busiest.
The ‘GAA Winning Tastes of Summer’, brought together favourite recipes that GAA stars put forward from their own childhood memories of food that they associate with the matches, along with tried and tested recipes that they use to prepare for a big match and their favourite treat dish that they cook up to celebrate a win.
Celebrity chef and SuperValu ambassador Kevin Dundon was also involved in crossover promotions, adding his own memory of match days to the campaign by recreating a fancy version of the GAA staple, the ham sandwich.
The fan element was introduced through asking them to join in with recipes that would earn prizes throughout the campaign. These included a VIP trip to the All-Ireland Final, a weekend stay in Dunbrody House, as well as SuperValu shopping vouchers and food hampers.
As the summer progressed the brand ran a series of Facebook competitions taking inspiration from the Mystery Guest slot on Question of Sport. Four players were filmed using SuperValu ingredients to prepare meals but with only glimpses of their faces revealed.
Fans were then asked to tell who they thought the players were and have the chance to win prizes.
The campaigns were very focused on the theme of food and reached out in social terms to tens of thousands. The product placement and association with community was consistent throughout and made good use of the assets they had at their disposal through the summer.
SuperValu and Centra, also part of the Musgrave group have benefitted in terms of footfall through their exclusive food retail sales of GAA tickets and as stockist of the GAA Cadbury Moro Bar.
Individual retailers have also made the most of access to tickets through running special in store promotions.
Nutrition is a key part of today’s increasingly scientific preparation of players at the top level and associating to quality food has been a smart way of making the brand relevant to the players and as part of an overall greater awareness of food as fuel.
Supervalu will also see their association to the GAA extend by at least one more week this year with their taking on of the shirt sponsorship of the Cork Ladies Gaelic Football team that will play Dublin at Croke Park on Sunday 28th. With Costcutter supporting last weekend’s victorious Camogie team it shows there is still some space for competition between rival brands, even around such closely related properties.
Look back on how Eircom have activated their All Ireland sponsorship and join us again tomorrow when we chat with Noel Quinn of the GAA on the summer enjoyed by GAAGo.
