Baileys partnered with RTÉ to leverage Eurovision’s massive appeal, aiming to foster brand awareness and connect with Ireland’s diverse and growing Eurovision audience. Baileys’ goals included positioning itself as an inclusive, celebratory brand, growing market share outside the typical holiday season, and driving penetration across both on- and off-trade channels. The Eurovision Song Contest, with nearly 200 million viewers, was the perfect platform to achieve these aims.
The name of the game
RTÉ and PHD Ireland designed a multi-channel, gamified campaign that marked RTÉ’s first bespoke content package for Eurovision, spanning TV, digital, and radio. Baileys’ activation centered around an engaging, quiz-based approach led by Davina Devine, a popular Irish drag queen and influencer. The campaign progressed in three key phases:
- Awareness: Baileys kicked off the campaign by hosting Eurovision-themed trivia competitions on 2fm, RTÉ’s music station. Fans could call in to answer live trivia questions posed by Davina Devine, with the chance to win Baileys prizes and a coveted ticket package to Eurovision. The lively and interactive quiz heightened Baileys’ presence on-air and started conversations among Eurovision enthusiasts.
- Anticipation: RTÉ Player (BVOD) hosted Eurovision Mixed, a digital series co-created with Baileys, in which up-and-coming Irish artists covered iconic Eurovision hits. Hosted by Devine, this show celebrated Eurovision’s inclusivity and nostalgia, while Baileys-branded content reinforced the brand’s place within the Eurovision community. The content aired both on RTÉ’s streaming service and across social media, drawing in an engaged digital audience.
- The event: The highlight of the campaign was the interactive quiz ad breaks during Eurovision’s live broadcast. Every ad break began with a trivia question—designed by RTÉ and voiced by Devine herself—testing fans’ Eurovision knowledge. This was followed by the answer at the end of the break, transforming each ad break into a mini quiz that kept audiences engaged throughout. The quiz questions spanned Eurovision’s colorful history and quirky moments, deepening fans’ connection to the event and encouraging viewers to actively participate from home, extending the Eurovision party atmosphere into the commercials.
The final score
The multi-platform campaign exceeded all KPIs: the trivia promotion on 2FM received over 4,000 entries, and Eurovision Mixed garnered 7,700 streams. Baileys’ Eurovision ad breaks reached 3.1 million live broadcast views, with over 21% of Irish adults engaging with the sponsorship content. The innovative ad break quiz boosted viewer retention during commercials, resulting in heightened brand awareness and positive sentiment. Baileys saw a rise in off-trade market share in May and an overall increase in brand penetration, establishing the brand as a central part of Ireland’s Eurovision festivities and proving the power of interactive, gamified ad experiences.