Three is Ireland’s top mobile provider, serving 3.7 million customers. They have a strong history of supporting the Irish music scene through their partnership with Live Nation, which includes festivals, venue sponsorship, and exclusive presale tickets for Three customers.
Three stepped up as the sponsor for The Olympia, one of Ireland’s most cherished and historic music venues, renaming it the 3Olympia. This rebranding, complete with a new signage above the door, faced significant resistance from the Irish public. This unexpected backlash posed a challenge, resulting in a drop in Three’s brand health amongst music fans, coupled with a spike in negative social sentiment.
To overcome this, our objective was clear: prove to Irish musicians and fans that Three’s involvement with music was far more than mere branding. We needed to show a genuine connection to music, with a strong commitment to Irish musicians, fans and Irish culture.
Leveraging our established music partnerships with renowned Irish venues and festivals, we aimed to harness these connections to empower emerging talent. This led to “City Stages”, an activation that spanned across Ireland, provided Irish musicians with the opportunity to showcase their talents on some of Ireland’s biggest stages and the educational support needed to navigate the music industry long after the activation had ended.
Thanks to City Stages, our brand health among music fans has recovered & grown since the 3Olympia announcement, 500+ artists applied to City Stages and over 60 artists joined our inaugural AIM masterclass at the 3Olympia.
