Tourism Ireland / Irland Information
Destinations

EM 2008 - Qualification Germany-Ireland

Background
On 2nd of September, 2006, the first qualifier for the European Championship 2008 between Germany and Ireland took place in Stuttgart. The event was intended to make use of the remaining euphoria for football among Germans (Germany played host to the world at the recent World Cup, and the national team around coach Klinsmann became „Champion of the Hearts“), and to capture the enthusiasm of the 20,000 Irish fans expected to come to Stuttgart in order to draw attention to Ireland as an attractive holiday destination. Above all, the Irish Tourist Board stressed the fact that the planned campaign should provide a platform where people could meet the Irish people with all their frankness and hospitality.

Target Group
Germans interested in football
The general public

Task
1. To create a space and an informal atmosphere facilitating cross-cultural encounters between Irish fans and German passers-by.
2. Positive image transfer from a sports event to Ireland as a holiday destination
3. Generating interest in sports trips on behalf of marketing partner DERTOUR live

Solution
- Organisation of an ‘Ireland Day’ in a centrally located beer garden in the inner city of Stuttgart with live folk music, goal wall shooting, information kiosks, transmission of the match on large screens and sampling of local Irish specialities
- The event was advertised on 350,000 sandwich bags and radio spots
- For those unable to come to the city, provision was made to take part in a goal wall shooting online
- In addition, 5,000 helium-filled balloons were distributed in the city of Stuttgart
- Sean – a sheep dressed in a football shirt – was chosen to act as a popular figure and campaign-enhancing element

Results
During the event, innumerable spontaneous contacts were made between Irish fans and German visitors. The website received more than 7,000 registrations. DERTOUR live was able to sell 100 group tours to Ireland following the event.


  print casestudy         print all casestudies