June saw oil distribution company Certa Ireland roll out the first ever above-the-line sponsor ad campaign for Ireland’s Women’s Cricket Team which was titled ‘Breaking Boundaries’ and which brings to life the brand’s belief that ‘with the right energy and determination we can always push forward’.
Certa, part of DCC plc, is a new brand (in the fuel, home, business and lubricants space) and the campaign activates its new sponsorship of Irish Women’s Cricket at the start of the side’s summer international matches, the campaign launched on 14 June across VOD, digital and social media, while it was also promoted across Certa’s network of 39 forecourts and 22 home heating depots.
The campaign, which was created in harness with creative agency Verve|Showrunner and production house Rubberduck, was spearheaded by a trio of 30-second spots focusing on incorrect assumptions about women’s cricket in the country and championing how the team is challenging clichés and shatter stereotypes.
The three videos feature slow motion imagery of cricket bats and balls shattering physical symbols associated with cricket’s old-school and clichéd past: an old fashioned tea set is destroyed and a classical, tiered cake stand and a victoria sponge explode while voiceovers from three of the team’s star players – Leah Paul, Gaby Lewis, and Captain Laura Delany – challenge the status quo by explaining just these limiting notions about cricket are wrong and why Ireland should get behind it’s elite team of athletes.
“People think cricket is just a picnic in the park, but it’s certainly no picnic. Our games are not just 90 minutes, they go on all day. That’s why we train for power, speed and endurance, but the hard work makes winning even more sweet,” states batter Gaby Lewis blasting a cake into crumbs.
“Cricket is sometimes seen as a little old fashioned, but it is actually one of the fastest growing sports amongst young women in Ireland. The days of sipping tea and sweater vests are long gone. Our team is athletic, ambitious and professional,” says bowler Leah Paul as she fires a cricket ball through a tea set.
“Nobody thinks of Ireland as a top tier cricket team, but we are one of the best ten teams in the world. We competed in the last World Cup. Not throwing shade or anything, but not every team can say that,” continues skipper Laura Delany as she smashes up an afternoon tea stand with a fast ball.
“Certa is excited to launch this campaign. It provides a fresh insight into what women’s cricket has to offer and we hope that it inspires more young women to play cricket,” cpommented Certa Ireland managing Director Andrew Graham at the campaign launch. “We are proud to support the Ireland Women’s cricket team as the rising stars of Irish sport. Their culture of high performance, breaking boundaries and challenging the status quo is shared by everyone at Certa”.
The campaign was conceived and created by agency Verve|Showrunner through a team which was led by Creative Directors Sam Moorhead and Mikey Fleming, Client Approval Manager Jane Gray, Project Manager Hazel Byrne, Copywriter John Close, Designers Welly Alves, Áine O’Flaherty and Kerry Gorman, plus Account Manager Jonny Moore.
The production company was Rubberduck whete the team included Directors Ben Colwell and Conor Ryan, Producers Eoghan Ryan and Jennifer Barry Duke, Director Of Photography James Collins, Production Designer Ellie Lowney, Food Stylist Erica Ryan and Hair & Makeup Artist Aoife Hayes.
Music and sound was handled by Locky Butler
Comment
The campaign rolled out prior to the Ireland Women’s Cricket Team’s tour of the Caribbean for a six-match series against the West Indies starting on 26 June and running through to 8 July.
Later in the summer the team will face World Champions Australia in a three-match ODI series in Clontarf in July and it will then set out on a three-match tour to the Netherlands.
Women’s cricket is one of the fastest growing sports amongst young women in Ireland and the growth is partly being driven and inspired by the success if Ireland Women’s National Cricket Team which recently turned professional and have climbed into the top 10 teams in the world.
It was back in April 2023 that Ireland’s largest fuel supplier Certa was unveiled as the inaugural title sponsor of the Ireland Women’s Cricket Team in a two-year partnership.
The partnership followed on from Cricket Ireland becoming only the second sport in the country to offer full-time professional playing contracts for women in 2022 and Certa aims to continue the growth and success and ‘empower the team to continue pushing new boundaries and to perform competitively against the top nations in women’s cricket by helping the sport to thrive from grassroots to elite level and to inspire young players to follow their dream of becoming professional cricket players in Ireland’.
When the deal was announced earlier in 2023, Certa MD said: “Certa is excited to get behind such a progressive sport and trailblazing team. These women are the rising stars of Irish sport, and they share our values of pushing new boundaries and challenging the status quo. Their achievements are an inspiration to people of all ages, and they deserve a bigger spotlight. In little over one year, they have introduced full-time professional contracts in Ireland that have already raised their standard of competitiveness against the world’s best teams. Their culture of high performance and pursuit of excellence is shared by everyone at Certa, and we look forward to working together to move the dial on how the Ireland Women’s cricket team performs and advances through the world rankings.”
While Cricket Ireland CEO added: We are delighted to announce this partnership with Certa as the new title sponsors of the Ireland Women’s cricket team. This is a great step forward for women’s cricket in Ireland, and to take this step with a renowned Irish brand is genuinely exciting. Certa and Cricket Ireland will be working together to grow the profile, brand and engagement of women’s and girls’ cricket, from grassroots to elite level. The Ireland Women’s cricket team have demonstrated over the last couple of years that they are able to compete with the best teams in the world. The experience that this young squad is gaining is invaluable to their ongoing development and to the profile of cricket in Ireland. We are very much looking forward to the summer fixtures against Australia, the West Indies and the Netherlands. It continues to be an exciting time for Ed Joyce and his squad, and we wish them all the best in the exciting next couple of years with our new partners.”
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