Jim Beam Brands Australia has stepped up its association with the football codes, with the sponsorship of NRL’s The Footy Show and The AFL Footy Show on the Nine Network, as it hopes to benefit from developing a more integrated on-air presence.
Jim Beam’s media agency Mediaedge:cia took part in the creation of the sponsorship package and its chief executive, Mike Porter, is looking to develop something different from other alcohol advertisers.
“We did a lot of analysis of the Jim Beam drinker and found there was a certain irreverence and humour with this drinker. They are mostly male in their early 20s with more of an attitude and The Footy Show profile was clearly a good fit,” he said.
Porter said the agency approached Nine for the drinks company to become the main sponsor of the two shows and consequently developed a range of potential in-program segments in collaboration with the producers of the shows and Jim Beam’s creative agency, The Works.
Jim Beam marketing director, Frank Cohen, said the sponsorship is unlike anything it has done before in the sporting arena.
The Jim Beam brand will be incorporated into the NRL’s The Footy Show segments featuring the ‘Daredevil Dudes’, while high-profile players will act as roving reporters at various Jim Beam-affiliated events such as the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
