Retail & FashionSpecsavers × Lee Keegan & Frank Burns — All-Ireland Mini-Activation
Sport Endorse sourced elite GAA players and young fans for Specsavers' All-Ireland Final activation, delivering a seamless, family-focused brand campaign.
Overview
The campaign
Specsavers partnered with Sport Endorse to create an engaging pre-match activation ahead of the 2021 All-Ireland Football Final. Using the Sport Endorse platform, the campaign secured elite GAA players and young interviewers to produce authentic, family-friendly branded content that strengthened sponsorship activation and generated excitement around one of Ireland's biggest sporting occasions.
The challenge
As an official supporter of Gaelic Games, Specsavers wanted to activate its sponsorship in a way that would resonate with supporters ahead of the 2021 All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Mayo and Tyrone.
Rather than relying on traditional sponsorship advertising or media appearances, the objective was to create engaging, shareable content that celebrated the excitement surrounding the championship while reinforcing Specsavers' approachable and community-focused brand personality.
Working within the narrow window before an All-Ireland Final presents significant logistical challenges. Elite inter-county players have extremely limited media availability during championship week, while coordinating multiple participants, safeguarding requirements for child contributors, and aligning production schedules adds further complexity.
Tangerine Communications required a trusted partner capable of sourcing suitable athletes quickly and coordinating all talent efficiently without disrupting campaign timelines.
The Sport Endorse solution
Sport Endorse worked alongside Tangerine Communications to source the campaign talent and simplify athlete management from initial brief through to campaign delivery.
Using the Sport Endorse platform, the agency was able to:
Submit a campaign brief outlining the required athlete profile.
Secure participation from one elite player representing each All-Ireland finalist.
Coordinate athlete communication and scheduling.
Manage talent logistics during one of the busiest weeks of the GAA calendar.
Ensure a seamless production process that allowed the agency to focus on campaign delivery rather than talent acquisition.
The result was a streamlined workflow that removed many of the administrative and relationship-management challenges typically associated with athlete activations.
Athlete fit
The selected athletes represented the two competing counties in the 2021 All-Ireland Football Final, ensuring immediate relevance for supporters nationwide.
Pairing elite inter-county players with young GAA fans created authentic interactions that showcased the personalities behind the athletes rather than focusing solely on match preparation.
This approach aligned naturally with both the values of Gaelic Games and Specsavers' longstanding brand positioning as an accessible, community-oriented business. The activation felt genuine, entertaining and family-friendly, helping the sponsorship become part of the wider conversation around the championship rather than simply appearing as branded advertising.
Deliverables
- Campaign talent brief managed through Sport Endorse.
- Elite GAA players sourced from both All-Ireland finalist counties.
- Majority of participating "Little Journalists" sourced and coordinated.
- Athlete communications managed throughout campaign delivery.
- Talent scheduling coordinated around pre-final media commitments.
- Family-friendly branded interview content produced.
- Social-first activation assets created for Specsavers' marketing channels.
- End-to-end athlete sourcing support delivered for Tangerine Communications.
- The Trusted Quote
- "We've been working with Sport Endorse for over two seasons now around activation of the Specsavers , and simply put, they get things done when others may say it isn't possible."
- Filsan Yusuf | Senior Digital Account Director
Run a campaign like this
Tell us your goal — we'll show you the athletes, the process and the reporting on a short demo.
Book a Demo