Electric Ireland is to recognise Minor footballers and Hurlers that have been nominated by their peers for their attitude and performance on and off the pitch.
This is the third of a five year sponsorship of the Football and Hurling Minor Championships and the theme this year is closely aligned to the overall Electric Ireland one of ‘Powering…’. Powering Minors will sit alongside the successful campaign in the autumn of Powering Kindness which benefitted Special Olympics last year.
The provincial finalists in both hurling and football will nominate one player on their team and they will be rewarded with an iPad.
The Minor Championships have proven capacity to draw a crowd with both hurling and football finals traditionally played as curtain raisers to the provincial and the All Ireland Finals.
Last year the brand highlighted players who had gone on from playing at this level to success in other fields, such as Shane Long and Niall Quinn in soccer and then business.
In recent times the rival Bord Gais Energy sponsored U21 Championships has received a high profile due to the early season timing of the Championship and the doubling up of senior Inter County stars like last year’s Hurler of the Year Tony Kelly for Clare.
Playing at Minor is all about the talent of tomorrow rather than today and that gives it a special place in people’s minds. It does though need strong support from commercial partners who will give it oxygen in the wider context.
In that sense the focus on the players themselves, and their choice of a peer group who can step up as good role models to people of their age that are generally in their leaving cert cycle can only be a good thing for the sport and, by association, the brand.
Here is last year’s campaign sting…
Electric Ireland was the overall team sponsor of the Irish Olympic team for London 2012 and is also a main sponsor of Women’s hockey.
