Brands embrace Eurovision - and the spending power of its 180m viewers
The wind machines have been tested, dance routines perfected and wardrobe malfunctions eliminated. At this stage, there is not much you can do about the singing or the song choice.
So as one pageant in Britain ends, another begins, with the Eurovision song contest semi-finals kicking off in Liverpool on Tuesday. Whether you consider it a cringeworthy affair or the World Cup of music, it is one of the most-watched shows on the planet, with 180 million people expected to tune in.
Viewers may watch expecting to hear some cheesy songs but these days the sponsors are big cheeses, too – including the cream cheese maker Philadelphia – as the business world embraces Eurovision’s inclusive message and the spending might of that huge fanbase.
When tickets for the final sold out in about half an hour, fans joked they would “live on Philadelphia” in an attempt to win the VIP tickets up for grabs on limited-edition packs. When you think about it, the marriage of Philadelphia and “Europe’s cheesiest song contest” is the stuff of Don Draper.
This year, the Christmas favourite Baileys also wants to be on your radar if you are planning a “Eurosoiree”. The brand has inked a three-year deal with Eurovision and enlisted the 2014 winner, Conchita Wurst, as a brand ambassador.
Paul Carton, Baileys’ global marketing director, said it wanted to be part of the“world’s most joyful global celebration of inclusive and diverse cultures and communities”. The deal means the Austrian drag queen can be found shaking Baileys cocktails on its social media channels.
While these tie-ups appear as frivolous as last year’s Norwegian entry – Subwoolfer’s Give That Wolf a Banana – more well-known brands want to be part of the spectacle and have more opportunity to do
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