The challenge

Guinness has been in a strategic relationship with rugby for a long time. At the 2003 Rugby World Cup, they scored the winning marketing campaign and in 2007 they also wanted to be leading brand.

Global deals meant TV sponsorship wasn’t an option. Additionally changes to the media landscape meant that the consumer experience of the tournament would be very different in 2007 from 2003.

Consumers would experience the action through online and press as well as TV. Core Guinness drinkers might also be at home rather than in the pub as a result of the smoking ban. Add in the rise of cider drinking and it was clear that the media challenge would be much greater in 2007.

Guinness needed to leverage its message across a range of channels both before the cup and during the action, delivering a significant uplift in sales and becoming the brand most associated with the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Its message needed to reach beyond the live action to reflect the fans enjoyment of both the anticipation and analysis. The aim was to build the relationship between rugby fans, participants and Guinness and frequency would be key to success.

The TV solution

TV was central to the solution, introducing Guinness’s iconic creative ideas and delivering rapid mass awareness.

Ads featuring muscular characters playing rugby in a vast stadium emphasising the central message that players would be “seconds from greatness” if they made the tackle or scored the points that won the match.

Copy was matched to the moment with stories of anticipation appearing pre-tournament and before kick off, while during the game the message was all about the sense of theatre and physicality of the sport. The aim was to mirror the emotions of rugby fans and Guinness drinkers.

Pre-tournament 10-second teaser ads ran in programmes identified as appointment to view for the target audience. These included high profile sporting events as well as drama and entertainment such as My Name is Earl, The Shield, The Bill and House.

Alongside this TV activity, Guinness was also the solus sponsor of the Telegraph’s 32-page guide to the cup.

Once the action started, TV airtime was concentrated into live games and highlights shows, with the 10-second anticipation copy running before kick off and a 30-second ad running during half time or whistle break. As the competition became more serious, two different 30-second ads showing the action from the perspective of the black and white teams ran in a single break.

During the final, a special 60-second ad showing the match from both teams viewpoint ran last in break during the second half-time break.

TV was matched with further activity on Telegraph online and press properties as well as expandable leaderboards on all major sporting websites, including Times Online, Sky Sports and Planet Rugby and Rugby World.

Results

Carat achieved its two key targets, delivering a 4% increase in sales and an all time record share in September and October. By contrast the whole beer market dropped 8%.

Guinness also had the highest recall of any non-sponsor brand, higher than TV sponsors Peugeot and EDF and level with official sponsors Heineken and Toshiba.

“Guinness had all-time record share highs in September/October – sales were up 4% vs a market at -8%. This was driven by our fantastic exploitation of RWC, in which Carat really led our overall communications strategy and delivered excellent value. We had ownership presence in TV to a wider sports audience, whilst our Engage campaign allowed us to have a constant dialogue with rugby adorers.”

Paul Cornell, Marketing Manager, Guinness