Football is as relevant today as it’s always been for 25-34 year old males in Ireland. The sport presents a significant pool of fans, both interested and avid fans following and engaging with the game. With 18% of all football fans now regularly obtaining their football information online and 72% regularly visiting social platforms, it’s never been so relevant for brands to publish branded football content online.

In regard to regulations, marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should be socially responsible and should not exploit the young or the immature. They should neither encourage excessive drinking nor present abstinence or moderation in a negative way.

Internally, the Diageo Marketing Code aims to deliver responsible alcohol marketing and effective self-regulation. Independently, the Central Copy Clearance Ireland Ltd is an organisation that provides a vetting service for all advertising of alcoholic drinks in Ireland.

Anyone depicted in an alcohol marketing communication should be, and appear, aged over 25. Advertisers should take account of the age profile so that marketing communications are communicated, so far as is possible, to adults. They should not feature personalities or characters that would have a particular appeal to children in a way that would encourage them to drink.

Carlsberg Ireland implemented a through-the-line campaign, with Digital, TV radio, outdoor and POS to drive consumers to a bespoke tab on the Carlsberg Football page. Using premium animation within online advertising provided a clear picture to the consumer of what was being asked of them and how they could get involved.

The online advertising showed a fan’s picture being uploaded to a giant Carlsberg flag with hundreds of other pictures being uploaded then forming a giant flag of support, then showing it held aloft in a crowd. The online advertising clearly demonstrated the consumer journey and provided motivation for participation.

The campaign received major coverage on Sky Sports News, TV3, The UEFA Channel and all Irish newspapers, over 5 million people saw or heard about it. Fan engagement was phenomenal, the average Facebook engagement increasing by 800%. The number of 'Likes' on the Carlsberg Facebook page doubled: from 18k to 36k as fans posted a phenomenal amount of content. This content was seen on over an incredible 17 million occasions. Over 4,000 pictures were uploaded by fans. The Carlsberg flag was seen by over 35,000 fans in the Aviva stadium on May 26th, as well as thousands watching at home.