A summer of sport is underway, and between the Euros, Wimbledon and the upcoming Olympics, there’s no shortage of conversation starters with family, friends or work colleagues.
But every once in a while, a brand is successful in turning “Did you see the game last night?” into “Did you see that advert last night?”
In marketing, this is the equivalent of a gold medal. It’s the perfect approach, double-twist somersault, sticking the landing as the crowd roars and a proud dad falls down three rows of seating.
Today, we’re looking at those brands which have aced their serve when it comes to leveraging sporting events and generating conversation with their marketing activity.
1999: Budweiser’s “Whassup” campaign
Starting strong with a campaign that changed popular culture. Travelling across the pond and back in time to the year 1999, Budweiser really moved the needle with their “Whassup” campaign.
Annoying? Iconic? Perhaps. Inescapable? Definitely. The campaign debuted during the 1999 NFL playoffs and featured a group of friends greeting each other with an over the top “Whassup” shout while watching the game. The results, no one could have truly predicted.
Despite its low budget and limited initial airtime, the ad quickly went viral (before viral was a thing), becoming a cultural phenomenon. From office banter to school playgrounds, construction sites to stadiums, the phrase was repeated, daily, hourly, maybe even every minute (we have no research to back this up) ensuring that you simply could not get away from the tagline and by association, the brand.
Ultimately, the campaign reached far further than anticipated, and helped solidify Budweiser’s brand association with sports and the camaraderie which comes with watching together.
2010: Proctor & Gamble’s ‘Thank You Mom’
P&G’s ‘Thank You Mom’ campaign is a long-running Olympic marketing initiative that debuted in 2010 during the Vancouver winter games. The campaign celebrates the vital role mothers play in supporting and inspiring their kids to achieve their athletic dreams.
The campaign has been rebooted several times for further Olympic events with multi-channel activations across ATL, digital, social, athlete partnerships and retail integrations to support P&G’s marquee brands, such as Pampers, Tide, and Gillette.
At the heart of the activity has always been emotionally powerful video ads that show the incredible strength, sacrifice, and unwavering support mothers provide to their children, and the campaign has been a huge success each time it’s run, generating $500 million in global incremental sales.
2006: Carlsberg ‘Old Lions’
What seems like a nostalgic fever dream, the Carlsberg ‘Old Lions’ campaign from 2006 was a highly successful brand activation tied to the FIFA World Cup that year.
The main advert featured an all-star team of England football legends such as Bobby Charlton, Alan Ball, and Peter Reid, playing a match against a local pub team. The ‘Old Lions’ are managed by the late Sir Bobby Robson, and the tagline was “Carlsberg don’t do pub teams”… well, you can guess the rest.
The ad celebrated the brand’s association with football, tapping into the past, and was a major part of Carlsberg’s marketing efforts in England leading up to the World Cup, leveraging the usual media-fuelled hyperbole around the tournament.
Because of its timeless appeal, the ad was shared far and wide and still continues to be years after its release. Periodically resurfacing on social media when England play in tournaments, it’s clear that the concept has real resonance and staying power. In fact, in Campaign magazine’s top 10 British Football ads poll, ‘Old Lions’ came in an impressive fifth place (usually better than England’s performance, back then!)
The Cairn team have plenty of sporting experience of our own. We’ve worked with big brands to activate partnerships, such as helping Hoover maximise their sponsorship of Warrington Wolves.
So, if you’re looking to leverage an upcoming event and want to put your brand on the podium, why not get in touch.
