Ulster Bank is preparing for its most comprehensive activation programme ever around the RBS sponsorship of the Six Nations tournament. The action gets underway this weekend with Ireland taking on Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
A series of new outdoor billboards in key locations will add to the impact of an overall sponsorship of RTE’s broadcast and digital channel’s coverage throughout the tournament.
The theme of the campaign will be that Ulster Bank is ‘dedicated to the future of Irish Rugby’. There will be two additional straplines – ‘dedicated to the strength and dedicated to the skill of Irish Rugby.’
The focus is very much on the youth and grassroots infrastructures of the game and stings around the broadcast coverage, extending to the RTE Player and RTE Sport online, will feature young players from Terenure College hauling tyres along a Dublin beach in one and firing balls at targets in another.
The parent company and Ulster Bank here are committed to the Six Nations and the associated RugbyForce programme of club support for at least another four years. The Rugby Force initiative which distributes cash grants to local clubs is back again this year with a closing date for applications in April.
The top line advertising around this season will be backed up by a tour of the Six Nations Trophy that will criss cross Ireland taking in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Athlone off the back of the Ireland Vs England game at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday February 10th.
The tour will take in a variety of stops with the Dublin tour starting with a business breakfast at George’s Quay on Monday 11th, rolling on to St Mary’s College and Crumlin Childrens Hospital before a customer event at the Raheny Ulster Bank branch and a finish for the evening at an event in Clontarf Rugby Club.
Competitions are taking place through customer and social media channels with prizes ranging from a Golden Ticket package to follow Ireland to Rome in March through to opportunities to carry flags and participate in the coin toss at the home games against England and France.
Ulster Bank’s connection with Irish Rugby through the Six Nations sponsorship runs throughout the year but with rival bank HSBC on shirts for the Lions tour this summer, they seem intent on making the most of the association amid the wider public over the next two months.
The association is good for the bank and is also a major boost for the way in which the sport is brought to as many different areas at its key promotional time of the year.
Next week we will look at what Guinness and O2 are doing to fasten their support of Ireland in the hearts and minds of Irish fans.
Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business will host the Rugby Business Network gathering on the eve of the Ireland England weekend at the Gibson Hotel. This event is open to all though registration is required.
