Editor’s Note: Irish whiskey brand Jameson sponsors several NFL teams, but it doesn’t have an official sponsorship deal with the league. Nor do any of the overseas games taking place this football season happen in the nation of Ireland. So to make some noise about that—and make the case for bringing a game to Ireland—Jameson launched the “Touch Down in Ireland” campaign with a stunt at the NFL HQ in NYC, coupled with tailgating activations happening next month. A piece in CM sister pub Event Marketer details the activation and its touchpoints. Below is an excerpt of the article.
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Several NFL games will be played overseas this football season, but none of them will take place in Ireland. And Jameson has something to say about that. So on Sept. 6, the Irish whiskey brand fired up a rally bus and a partnership with former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman and parked outside NFL Headquarters in New York City to make some noise—and its case for bringing a pro football game to Dublin. The stunt served as the launch of Jameson’s Touch Down in Ireland campaign, which will also be brought to life with tailgating activations in Tampa Bay, FL, and Las Vegas next month.
For Jameson, which sponsors a handful of NFL teams, but doesn’t have an official NFL sponsorship deal, the strategy requires finesse. But the brand is up to the task with its sights set on driving earned media and infiltrating football fans’ consideration set on game days.
“You think about sports, it’s a beer occasion. And the Jameson team saw a real opportunity and a real white space,” says Kim Haney, director-experiential at Pernod Ricard. “It started last year. We were like, what if we got the NFL to do a game in Ireland? It’s beautiful. The grass is green. It’s the perfect place to do it. So we partnered with Ryan Fitzpatrick and launched an earned media and social campaign to bring professional football to Dublin. It didn’t happen. So we said let’s do it again this year. Let’s double down.”
And double down they did. When Jameson pulled into NFL Headquarters to drum up buzz in New York, it was hard to miss the spectacle. The branded bus, featuring two giant helmets on its exterior, was packed with cheerleaders, a band, a group of fanatics holding signs and Edelman at the helm with a megaphone, all clamoring for the league to touch down in Dublin. (“How cool would it be if we raise the eyebrows of someone in that building and they go, ‘Why not Ireland?’” says Haney.)
To read the full piece, head to Event Marketer.
