Heineken Ireland celebrated rugby rivalries with the launch of a campaign called ‘The Perfect Match’ in late March to leverage its status as the title sponsor of the European Rugby Champions Cup knockout stages.
The campaign explores how rivalries co-exist within fan personal relationships.
The activation is led by a hero TVC which debuted on national television on 19 March during the (planned) final weekend of the Guinness Six Nations tournament.
The spearhead TV commercial, which was created by agency Publicis and helmed by Cape Town-based Director Karien Cherry, highlights the journey of rugby rivalry and follows three couples each pitted against each other as their rival teams face off.
As the spot plays out, tensions rise as the fans ‘press pause on love’ whilst their rival teams fight for victory out on the pitch.
‘The Perfect Match’ campaign, which was jointly developed by Publicis and Heineken Ireland in collaboration with agency partners Thinkhouse and Red Star, revolves around a set of 60- and 30-second spots.
The films were supported by a set of rugby social content and a ‘giveaway pack’ activation strand which also leveraged the Ireland national team’s Six Nations matches.
For 80 minutes, chivalry becomes rivalry.
We're giving away 10 'Perfect Match' matchday packs to couples who support opposing teams. For a chance to win just retweet, tag your partner and tell us what team they support.
Terms & Conditions apply.https://t.co/SE0nS4h9As pic.twitter.com/VI0ZZ95rei
— Heineken Ireland (@Heineken_IE) March 19, 2021
That winning feeling…#IREvENGhttps://t.co/SE0nS4h9As pic.twitter.com/wIac2nTA4A
— Heineken Ireland (@Heineken_IE) March 20, 2021
“We can all relate to the uncompromising passion we feel for our rugby team. The despair of losing just makes those victories all the sweeter when they happen. This new advert from Heineken Ireland celebrates the social side of rugby,” explained Director Karien Cherry. “However, in the world of Heineken, your partner might only be your perfect match until the match begins.”
Heineken Ireland Senior Brand manager Ronan McCormack added: “It’s been a challenging 12 months for everybody but at Heineken Ireland, we are looking forward to some better times ahead and the return of that special match day occasion in the On Trade. The Heineken brand is known the world over and particularly here in Ireland, our support for rugby remains as strong as ever. Alongside our Irish agency partners, we’re excited to launch this new ad campaign and look forward to a busy few months of top-class rugby.”
Comment:
Heineken has a lengthy and rich heritage in marketing around rugby and has been a title partner of the Heineken Champions Cup for the last 20 years.
European Rugby’s Heineken Champions Cup is the annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby and is the top-tier club competition for teams from countries whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship.
This campaign marks the start of a busy sports activation period for Heineken marketers. Not only do the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup take place in April and May, but the Heineken-sponsored UEFA Champions League plays out over the same period, plus the Formula One season starts at the end of March, while the UEFA Euro 2020 begins in June.
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