The GAA Championship season got into full swing this weekend across the country.
Players and managers were ready to reveal the hard work that they had put into the summer of sport and so too were the three headline backers of the Football Championship.
Supervalu, Eircom and AIB are the three brands battling for supremacy in the hearts and minds of fans this year and we will be looking closely at the different initiatives each sponsor brings to their partnership.
On opening day it’s all about staking a claim with the broadcast sponsorship that comes as an integral part of the deal around the television, radio and online coverage of matches.
Each of the three has gone with a bold and simple brand identity on the interview board which will be present at all matches this year and featured through a series of interviews on The Sunday Game’s return to screens last night.
As the newest Championship sponsors there was perhaps greatest interest in how AIB would treat their new investment in the inter county game having supported clubs over the past 20 years.
The answer was to do so very much as a unifying brand that links club to county through a rolling on of #TheToughest campaign that was an award winner for the bank at club level last year.
The TV sting is a smart building of the medals and cups that mean so much at club level all the way through to the Sam Maguire Trophy at the centre.
The Championship season is a short one with the bulk of counties ending their part within two months. It’s important therefore that brands who have invested significant sums in their association with the summer highlights get off to a flying start. This weekend shows that they have.
