Bulmers Irish Cider has launched a new TV advertising campaign to promote and support its inaugural year of sponsorship of The Cheltenham Gold Cup. The exclusive four-year sponsorship of Europe’s most prestigious Jump race, now known as the Bulmers Cheltenham Gold Cup, also sees the brand become the Presenting Partner of The FestivalTM, which takes place from 12th – 15th March at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Made in Ireland, the opening scene of the new 30 second advertisement features a magnificent stallion racing through the orchards of Clonmel, the home of Bulmers, before crossing to the excitement of Cheltenham Gold Cup day; the roar of the crowds, the joy of the win and the splendour of the horses as they race towards the finishing line.
“Gold is within our reach”, declares the voiceover, a reference to both the liquid gold of the Irish cider and the 2019 Bulmers Gold Cup. “The Road to Gold starts here,” the voiceover continues, an affirmation that Clonmel is the starting point for every drop of Bulmers. Watch the ad HERE
“This Cheltenham sponsorship, which spans both Ireland and the UK, is a significant investment by the Bulmers brand in one of the most important and anticipated racing events on the sporting calendar,” said Tom McCusker, Managing Director of C&C Ireland. “This is a marriage of two iconic brands, both of which are steeped in heritage, and the new TV ad strongly reflects the synergy between the two.
“Ireland’s number one cider is produced in Co. Tipperary, which is a stronghold of Irish horseracing. The connection between Bulmers, Clonmel and horseracing is perfect, making the Cheltenham sponsorship a great fit for the brand,” said Tom McCusker.
Whilst Bulmers has been involved in local racing partnerships for many years, this is the first major international horse racing sponsorship by the brand. Tom McCusker continued; “Reaching a wide TV and online audience is a really important and integral part of our marketing strategy for Bulmers and for our sponsorship of The Festival, particularly given the huge Irish interest in Cheltenham.”
Ian Renton, Regional Director of The Jockey Club added, “We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team from Bulmers on their partnership with The Festival. They have been engaged in the project from day one and I am sure that next week will be a huge success for us both. We look forward to welcoming the Irish to Cheltenham, they are a huge part of the event.”
Approximately a third of the tickets sold for The Festival are sent to Ireland and tens of thousands of Irish fans make the annual pilgrimage to Cheltenham, with hundreds of thousands more watching all the action on TV
The new Bulmers Cheltenham TV advertisement will go live to air from today, March 8th across Virgin Media, Sky, TG4, Channel 4, E4 and More 4, together with a number of online platforms including RTE. The ad was devised and media was planned and bought by Bulmers’ creative agency, Tenth Man.
The TV campaign follows a number of Bulmers Road to Gold Roadshows for sports fans, taking place in both Ireland and the UK and featuring presenters Vogue Williams and Oli Bell and a programme of PR, digital and marketing support across both jurisdictions.
This is the first time The Festival has had a Presenting Partner to promote the entire event to audiences in both Ireland and the UK. Visitors to Cheltenham Racecourse will be able to enjoy a pint of golden, Irish cider at all bars at The Festival including the relaxing Magners Ciderland bar within the OrchardTM, which has been created specifically for the event. Bulmers is sold outside the Republic of Ireland under the name MAGNERS® Original Irish Cider.
