Bank of Ireland sponsors all four provinces of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster Rugby. They are four very different teams with very different identities. So, in early 2020, Bank of Ireland began developing a single-minded creative platform that would help them activate the four sponsorships in a cohesive way.
We delved deep into this problem, conducting 70, 1-on-1 interviews with colleagues (from boardroom to branch), and the clubs (from CEO to groundskeeper). This was augmented by island-of-Ireland quantitative research with 1,500 fans of provincial rugby.
We found four fierce rivals with unique tribal identities. Clubs that see success on the pitch as a catalyst for success off it. Clubs determined to lift trophies and lift communities. The challenge of sponsoring four competing teams was obvious, but eventually the answer became obvious too: competition can be a good thing.
When these four teams play, they don’t just raise their game. They raise the energy and spirit of their supporters and surrounding communities.
Never Stop Competing is a celebration of competition, and an invocation for us overcome whatever stands in our way, whether on the pitch or off it.
The platform was launched nationally and provincially and deepened with players and community driven clubs sharing their inspiring stories of overcoming obstacles.
In its first 5 months, Never Stop Competing turned a sleeping giant into a key tool in driving consideration of the Bank of Ireland brand.
