Whitbread rally rugby fans

Whitbread is using the final stages of Europe's premier rugby tournament to drive sales of Heineken among fans.

"It's About Thirst" is a themed promotion centred around the Heineken Cup, which is the subject of a £20million four-year sponsorship investment by Whitbread Beer Company.

The campaign will include the chance for drinkers to acquire T-shirts, rugby stress balls and other merchandise, with a selection of PoS material ensuring maximum awareness in venues.

The profile of Heineken's sponsorship will be further raised through national press advertising and competitions through local media in key rugby towns and cities including Cardiff, Bath, Gloucester and Edinburgh. Tickets, wide-screen TVs and branded merchandise can all be won.

The Heineken Cup involves 24 teams from six nations, with four countries still represented at the semi-final stage: Northampton (England), Llanelli (Wales), Munster (Ireland) and Toulouse (France). The semi-final games will be played this weekend (May 6/7) and the final on May 27, with live coverage on BBC television.

Whitbread estimates that there are nine million rugby fans in the UK and that 55 per cent of all male lager drinkers are interested in the sport.

Whitbread is to embark on a concentrated campaign for stout brand Murphy's, with ads running mid-week aimed at persuading young men to drink Murphy's when they go out at the weekend.

TV and radio ads featuring the Sisters of Murphy's will run each Wednesday and Thursday evening during May and June.

Steve Kitching of the Whitbread Beer Company said: "We want to make Murphy's front-of-mind with men aged 18 to 34 when they go out at the weekend.

"The most effective way of doing that is to advertise to them when they are at home during the quieter part of the week. We have devised a media schedule that is tightly-focused to ensure it reaches beer drinkers during this time."