London and the powers that be

ELECTRIC IRELAND, the retail arm of State-owned energy company ESB, is limbering up for the London Olympics with an outdoor and radio advertising campaign to support its sponsorship of Team Ireland.

The campaigns begin on Monday, and will feature high jumper Deirdre Ryan, marathon runners Linda Byrne and Mark Kenneally, judo competitor Lisa Kearney, track cyclist Martyn Irvine, boxers Darren O’Neill and Michael Conlan and 400m runner David Gillick.

“We’re trying to spotlight the athletes coming up to the Olympics,” Liam Molloy, general manager of Electric Ireland, told me this week.

“A lot of people wouldn’t be aware of them, and, hopefully, this will get people rooting for them.”

Molloy is also hoping the sponsorship will put the spotlight on Electric Ireland, a relatively new brand here.

“It’s a new brand and the company’s full of energy. Energy is what helped the athletes get to London, so we think it’s a good fit.”

Last month it emerged that fast food entrepreneur Pat McDonagh had written to Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton to complain about State-owned companies, including ESB/Electric Ireland, spending money on sponsorships at a time when energy costs were rising for consumers.

McDonagh argued that the sponsorships were being paid for by customers, and asked Bruton to look into the matter.

Molloy rebuffed the criticisms, arguing that its sponsorship of Team Ireland was a “very small” part of its overall spend on the brand.

“In fact, we’ve halved our sponsorship budget over the past year,” he said.

“And if large Irish companies like us don’t provide sponsorship then who will support these young people in terms of their sports?”