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Boddingtons to bolster brand affinity at Games

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 6, 2002 | 2 min read

Boddingtons, Manchester's famous ale brand, has signed up as the latest sponsor of the Commonwealth Games.

The brand, now owned by global brewer Interbrew, has already appeared in adverts running in Metro and Manchester Evening News. The executions, created by Manchester's LOVE, continue to play along the established theme of sporting figures hitching a lift to the Commonwealth Games, and feature Boddingtons' animated character Graham the Cow.

Despite growing from a regional North West brand into a national one, Interbrew has always been careful to retain Boddingtons' Manchester roots.

Phil Rumbol, brands director at Interbrew, is the man credited with turning Boddingtons into a national brand throughout the 1990s. He said: "I think when we were approached the thinking was that if there was going to be one drinks brand that was going to sponsor the Commonwealth Games in Manchester it would have to Boddingtons. I think this is really about increasing brand affinity in the North West - it's the biggest event in Manchester in how many years? It's about awareness and positive association."

"It's great such a well-loved Manchester brand should come on board as an official partner to the Games," said Niels de Vos, the commercial director for Manchester 2002. "A big name like Boddingtons means that we can take the Games into pubs and clubs across the country."

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