In this special edition of Our Take, we are taking a look at the sporting fields, tracks and meeting rooms of some of the biggest associations around – from an international sporting event that encourages doping, to a historic partnership for an iconic beauty brand. We also look at the recent integration of Gaelic Games and how crisp and clever activations stand out.
Check it out below.
An enhancement you might not believe
With less than 150 days to go until the Summer Olympics and publicity for the games ramping up, recent coverage of the Enhanced Games stands out like a sore thumb.
What is the Enhanced Games, you ask? It’s a planned international sports event where the athletes will not be subject to drug testing. They call themselves “the Olympics of the future – an open celebration of science and human enhancements”.
And some athletes are considering it! Retired world champion swimmer James Magnussen recently agreed to take banned performance-enhancing drugs to make an attempt at beating Cesar Cielo’s 15-year-old 50m freestyle world record. Maybe he can’t resist the glory of beating a long-standing world record. Or maybe he’s motivated by the $1,000,000 payday.
A sporting activity or a terrible reality TV show idea? We’re not sure yet, but since its inception last year, the Enhanced Games has collected an impressive array of investors and if enough athletes are tempted by a big payday, it might actually happen.
Pole position for Charlotte Tilbury
Iconic beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury recently announced a landmark partnership with the F1 Academy, a Formula One all-women competition that develops and prepares young drivers for higher levels of competition. Founded in 2022, it is an effort to close the gender gap in motorsport.
The partnership will see Charlotte Tilbury become the first beauty brand to partner with the F1 Academy and the activation will place a spotlight on the academy’s 15 drivers, all aged between 16-25. Their careers, progression and achievements will be followed and highlighted in order to raise awareness of the opportunities for women in the sport.
F1’s recent surge in popularity was driven in part by the acclaimed Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’. It wouldn’t surprise us to see something similar released down the tracks, following the F1 Academy drivers as they fight their way to the Formula 1 starting grid. This is a win-win for the rights holder and brand, we expect to see this partnership accelerate to the top of the sponsorship awards podium.
Integrating Gaelic Games
Currently, the GAA, the Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association are entirely separate organisations, but integration is finally on the cards, as the three associations will come together as one organisation by 2027.
The proposal, which passed last week, sends out a clear message of change, co-operation and development in the future of Gaelic games. Integration will help align fixtures across all codes, streamline registration for all players at club and county level, and, perhaps most importantly, it is a big step towards equality, not least particularly in the areas of access to facilities and funding.
The news has come as a surprise to those outside GAA circles who questioned why this wasn’t already the case but the good news is that common sense has prevailed, and all associations are looking onwards and upwards. There is still plenty of hurdles to clear before 2027 but at least the countdown has started.
Half time and the Chips are down
Going to a Champions League match in Milan’s San Siro stadium would be an amazing experience for any football fan but imagine getting to watch the match with football royalty.
We love a good event activation, and Lays captured our attention with their ‘No Lays, No Game’ stunt featuring legends of the game, David Beckham and Thierry Henry. At half time in the Champions league clash between AC Milan and PSG, David Beckham and Thierry Henry took over the stadium’s big screen to hunt for fans who had a packet of Lays crisps. Using the American style Kiss cam approach, TV cameras scanned the crowd before two lucky fans were chosen to join the famous duo for the second half.
It’s simple, it’s effective, it engages the crowd and also places the product at the centre of the activity. Very clever all round.