Few sporting events spark patriotism like the Ashes, and brands have been quick to tap into fans' passions. Brewer Marston's, for example, has jointly launched a cricket-themed special-edition Marmite, and rolled out a tie-in campaign with slogans such as 'We're English, we brew beer. You're Australian, you serve it'.
Betfair, the official betting partner to the sport's governing body, the ECB, and Test match grounds, has also created a campaign that plays on the rivalry between the two nations. 'The nature of our exchange-betting model lends itself to rivalry, and the Ashes is the ultimate sporting rivalry,' says Andy Lulham, UK PR manager at Betfair.
The company's 'Fan vs fan' campaign shows former England cricketer Phil Tufnell competing against ex-Australia player Jason Gillespie in a series of challenges, including a pedalo race. Fans can bet on the outcome of these challenges on the Betfair site.
Other brands are taking an ambassadorial route, affiliating themselves with the sport's stars. Freddie Flintoff may have spent more time posing for promo shots and nursing injuries than playing cricket recently, but the maverick is still England's trump card.
Sure for Men, Red Bull and Barclays Capital are among those brands that still deem him worth the risk, even if last month he risked the wrath of England kit supplier Adidas by appearing at Lord's wearing a hoodie made by his personal sponsor, Puma. An all-rounder in every sense, last week he guest-edited recently relaunched free weekly magazine Sport.
Change of platform
In 2005, office workers around the country discovered cricket website cricinfo.com. As England nudged ever-closer to their first Ashes series win in nearly 20 years, those at their desks followed the action through the site, stifling their cheers as Aussie wickets began to tumble.
While Cricinfo is set for further success this year, Sky Sports is offering its subscribers the chance to watch live TV action online. The broadcaster, which has secured Brit Insurance as broadcast sponsor, is to offer the option for existing customers to watch online through Sky Player during July and August.
Channel 4 drew a record audience share of 23% on the final day of the 2005 series and, while Sky is likely to reach a smaller live audience, Antony Marcou, managing director of sports media rights owner Sports Revolution, believes cricket will benefit from the coverage. 'Just look at what [Sky has] done for football,' he says. 'People were dubious at first, but it dragged it into the 21st century. So it will be beneficial for brands and the sport.'
Sky's other objective, as with its coverage of the British & Irish Lions' recent rugby tour to South Africa, is to use the event to promote its HD service.
Fans will also be able to access high-lights, sponsored by Five, through ecbtv.co.uk, which will be syndicated to the websites of national newspapers such as The Sun, The Telegraph and The Times. Partner brands of the ECB, such as Maximuscle and Marmite, will also be offered the chance to run pre-roll ads ahead of the highlights package.
As expected, mobile will play a greater role than four years ago, with Yahoo! announcing its Ashes mobile coverage last week. There are also several sponsored apps for iPhone users, including Cricinfo's Mobicast.
Domestically, the ECB hopes the Ashes can bring cricket to a wider audience as the abbreviated version of the game, Twenty20, has. It will run a multichannel marketing push called 'The Great Exhibition'. For its part, title sponsor Npower is also backing Cricket in the Park, which includes out-door screens at sites beyond the four Test cities, including Liverpool, Southampton and Derby. The first Test takes place in Cardiff, the first time an Ashes game will not be played in England.
Will Collinson, head of marketing at the ECB explains: 'In 2005, it was all about the England team, but the idea was to use the power of the big events, the Twenty20 World Cup and the Ashes, to reach people who wouldn't ordinarily be attentive.'
Whatever their marketing strategy, the drama of 2005 will ensure that there is huge interest for brands aligning them-selves with cricket and this year's Ashes series. However, with so many brands realising the massive potential, campaigns will have to work hard to stand out.