Food & DrinkPringles × John Egan — Brand Ambassador
Pringles activated Irish football culture with John Egan, combining ambassador-led PR, fan rewards and measurable commercial impact during summer 2024.
Overview
The campaign
Pringles partnered with Sport Endorse and Wilson Hartnell PR to connect with Irish football fans through Republic of Ireland international John Egan. The campaign combined ambassador-led PR, a mobile football skills promotion, limited-edition packaging and sports-bar activation, generating 2.5 million media impressions, a 6.7% sales uplift and 183% growth in promotion redemptions.
The challenge
Summer 2024 created an unusual communications challenge for brands trying to engage Irish football audiences. Major international football dominated attention, yet Ireland was not participating on the pitch. Pringles needed a way to stay culturally relevant to Irish supporters without pretending the disappointment did not exist. The campaign therefore had to tap into the humour, loyalty and travelling culture associated with Irish fans while still giving consumers a tangible reason to engage with the brand.
The activation also needed a credible football figure who could represent that fan culture naturally. A generic celebrity endorsement would have risked feeling disconnected from the audience. Pringles needed a recognisable Irish international with genuine football credibility, a strong connection to supporters and enough media relevance to help the promotion travel beyond paid advertising.
The Sport Endorse solution
Sport Endorse facilitated the partnership between Pringles and John Egan, working alongside Wilson Hartnell PR to secure a relevant Irish football ambassador for the campaign. Internal HubSpot records confirm a dedicated "John Egan Pringles media and shoot" deal was created in June 2024, supporting the ambassador engagement and media activity.
The wider activation turned Irish football fandom into a participatory consumer campaign. Limited-edition Pringles cans featured a QR-code mechanic that directed fans to a football skills game on their smartphones. Entrants could compete for one of four trips for two to major European football cities including London, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul and Milan, with each winning holiday valued at €5,000.
PR and media activity around Egan gave the campaign a recognisable sporting face, while selected sports bars in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick received Pringles viewing packs to extend the experience into shared match-watching environments. This mix connected ambassador credibility, retail packaging, digital interaction, earned media and live fan culture in one coherent activation.
Athlete fit
John Egan was a strong strategic match because he represented the exact audience Pringles wanted to reach. As a Republic of Ireland international with extensive top-level club experience, he had immediate credibility with Irish football supporters. More importantly, his role felt culturally authentic: the campaign celebrated the passion of Irish fans, and Egan could speak about that passion as someone who had experienced it directly from the pitch.
His presence also gave the campaign a human bridge between the product promotion and the wider football conversation. Rather than relying on a detached endorsement, Pringles used an athlete whose identity, career and audience naturally aligned with the campaign's humour and supporter-first positioning.
Deliverables
- John Egan appointed as Pringles Brand Ambassador for the Irish summer football campaign.
- Ambassador media and photo-shoot activity coordinated through the Sport Endorse/Wilson Hartnell engagement.
- PR launch and earned-media activity featuring John Egan.
- Limited-edition Pringles packaging carrying the promotional entry mechanic.
- QR-code access to a smartphone football skills game.
- Consumer competition offering four trips for two to major European football cities.
- Sports-bar viewing packs distributed to selected venues in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.
- Supporting influencer, out-of-home and promotional activity across the wider summer campaign.
Results
The campaign generated 2.5 million media impressions, delivered a 6.7% sales uplift and increased on-pack promotion redemptions by 183%. These results were reported by the European Sponsorship Association in its awards coverage of the 2024 Pringles campaign.
“This competition is our way of acknowledging their incredible spirit and offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the heart of European football." - Ann Rose Eng, Brand Activation Manager, Pringles Ireland”— John Egan, Footballer
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