Paddy Power and Irn-Bru best rated Euros ads, study finds
The overall effectiveness of Euros-themed ads in the UK has risen since the last tournament, says effectiveness firm System1.
By Molly Innes
England’s chances of winning the Euros are uncertain and Scotland didn’t make it past the group stage, but there are already some winners emerging from the UK’s advertising efforts this tournament.
Paddy Power’s football spot ‘Europe’s Favourite’ has come out on top for effectiveness, according to System1’s ranking which gives it top score of 5.9 stars.
In second place is Irn-Bru’s ‘Optimism is Back in Scotland’, a humour-laden ad that looked to distill some optimism in the country’s fans ahead of the tournament. While the optimism might have been ill-judged, the spot scored five stars.
Other top scorers include Adidas’s ‘Hey Jude, You Got This’ (4.5 stars), Lidl’s ‘We’re on Your Team (4.4 stars), BBC Sport’s ‘More Twists, More Turns (4.1 stars) and Budweiser’s ‘Official Beer of England’ (4 stars).
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During the last men’s Euros tournament in 2021 – delayed because of the pandemic – UK ads scored an average 2.4 stars. However, this time around, the average is 3 stars, showing a slight shift in performance.
More brands are advertising during the Euros too, with efforts doubling since 2021, according to System1.
“England’s performances on the field may not be a laughing matter, though plenty of tongue-in-cheek wit in ads is helping to boost the scores this year,” says Jon Evans, Chief Customer Officer at System1.
He adds that with humour making a comeback at this year’s Cannes Lions – it created a humour category this year – there has been a “positive shift” in the effectiveness of humourous ads.
