Strathmore, the A.G.Barr-owned Scottish water brand, will be supporting this August’s Glasgow 2018 European Championships, the new multi-sport event which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent’s major sports including Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon, as well as a new Team Golf Championships.

Scottish athlete Ross Murdoch (left of picture), Glasgow 2018 sporting ambassador and official ambassador for the Strathmore brand, joined the Glasgow 2018 mascot, Bonnie the Seal, and Jonathan Kemp (right), Commercial Director at A.G.Barr, to help the company launch the partnership.

Strathmore, which has been named as Official Partner of the championships, will be supplying its water to hydrate around 3,000 athletes expected to compete in venues across Scotland between 2nd and 12th August, as well as officials, staff, volunteers and medical teams on the ground.

Strathmore, Glasgow 2018 and Glasgow City Council are working together to ensure the Games are as environmentally-friendly as possible. There will be over 500 recycling bins distributed across venues to encourage the recycling of all Strathmore water bottles consumed at the Championships along with other recyclable waste.

Jonathan Kemp, Commercial Director at A.G.Barr, says: “We’re incredibly proud of the work that Strathmore does to encourage more people to take part in sport as part of its Do More campaign, so to be the Official Water of Glasgow 2018 European Championships, a multi-sport event which will engage and inspire so many people, highlights our ongoing investment and commitment to all levels of sport.”

Strathmore water joins Atos, Gleneagles, Harper Macleod LLP, Avid, NVT Group, Aggreko, Glasgow Airport and Arco as part of the Glasgorowing, w 2018 sponsor family.

The Strathmore water brand is owned by AG Barr. It is currently the official water supplier of British Athletics and IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018. The brand is also a water partner with Scottish Swimming, Scottish Athletics, and Scottish Rugby, and supports many other mass participation events including Edinburgh Marathon, and the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

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Independent Scotch whisky distiller Loch Lomond Group has signed a five-year partnership deal with The Open, golf’s original championship, for its Loch Lomond Whiskies brand.

The partnership with tournament organisers The R&A includes support of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and will allow the distiller to showcase globally the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies. It also means the distiller’s innovative and exciting range of single malts will become “The Spirit of The Open”.

The Open is the most international of the major golf championships with qualifying events across five continents. The Championship is also broadcast to 600 million households in almost 200 countries around the world.

Muriel Raguenaud, Marketing Director for Loch Lomond Group, says: “The partnership will encompass a year round programme of events both in the UK and international markets for whisky and golf fans. Some promotional activity will happen both on- and off-premises. In particular, at The Open itself, there will be a Loch Lomond Whiskies area where spectators will be able to sample our range of single malts and discover their versatility. Loch Lomond Whiskies will be the exclusive whisky poured at The Open and there will be a selection of limited edition products for sale.”

A range of in-outlet activations and Point Of Sale activities are also planned to capitalise on Loch Lomond’s partnership with The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open, both in the UK and in international markets. This could see consumers being offered the chance to win tickets to attend this year’s Open at Carnoustie.

Loch Lomond Whiskies will also use the partnership with The Open as a platform to create a variety of limited editions, aimed at both golf fans and whisky aficionados. The first limited editions will be released this summer and will cover a wide price range of whiskies, from tasting packs to rare vintages. There will probably be a limited edition to celebrate each Open championship.

Whisky and golf are recognised as being among Scotland’s most famous products and consumer studies suggest that there is a close affinity between the two industries, with many golf fans also demonstrating a passion for Scotch.

Founded in 1814, Loch Lomond Whiskies can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and which is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on the banks of Loch Lomond, were built in the 1960s and are among only a few in the industry to maintain an onsite cooperage. The malt distillery at Alexandria also features a unique combination of traditional swan neck and distinctive straight-necked pot stills, enabling it to produce a diverse range of flavour profiles.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, took ownership of the business with the backing of London based Exponent Private Equity in March 2014. Since then, the group has expanded its product range significantly, made major capital investments in its distilleries, maturation infrastructure and bottling operations and has achieved strong international growth. Its brands are now present in over 125 countries around the world.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, observes: “We are extremely proud to have agreed this prestigious partnership and association with The R&A for The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open. There is an incredibly strong alignment between the worlds of whisky and golf, two of Scotland’s most iconic gifts to the world. There is also a great fit between those who follow golf and whisky, with research showing clearly that many golfers across the world enjoy a regular dram.”

Matthews adds: “Our partnership with The R&A is the perfect means for Loch Lomond Whiskies to use the fabulous platforms of both championships to grow further, both in the UK and internationally, and it also demonstrates our strong commitment and ambition to becoming a premium global brand.”

Loch Lomond Whiskies’ partnership with The Open is effective immediately and runs until 2022. The five-year period includes the playing of the landmark 150th Open in 2021 at St Andrews, the home of golf. The 147th Open takes place at Carnoustie from 15-22 July 2018.

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Sky Sports, headline sponsor for The British Master’s, has been running experiential marketing at the event, which ran from October 7th – 11th at Woburn Golf Course and which saw an estimated 60,000 visitors over the four days.

This year is the first time The British Masters returned to The European Tour International Schedule in seven years. Working with The European Tour and its leading players, Sky Sports want to engage, excite and inspire new and existing golf fans through its on-air coverage, promotion and event staging and activation.

To support Sky in this mission, experiential agency RPM created an experience that allowed spectators to try their hand at putting on the panoramic 18^th green at Woburn, by recreating a replica green inside a giant 14m diameter dome, creating real stand out within the sponsors’ village.

By taking part in the challenge of putting a hole in one, fans are entered a draw to win a trip to the Ryder Cup 2016, in the US.

The dome and replica green were also the setting for daily golf master classes hosted by Sky Academy,  with golfing stars including three time European Tour winner Nick Dougherty  trying to explain the rudiments of the game.  The master classes were broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The dome also featured the Sky Sports News HQ experience, giving fans the opportunity to try their hand at presenting a news report which they could then download and share across their social media channels.

Sky Sports also hosted question and answer sessions each day with Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.

All of this activity follows on from the ‘Sky Sports Thursday’ initiative that saw 15,000 tickets given away for the first day of the British Masters to generate buzz and footfall for the event.

Amanda Marsden, Promotions Manager at Sky Sports, says: “The British Masters is a great opportunity for Sky Sports to showcase our superiority in Golf, and provides a great platform for us to engage our golfing audience. RPM have helped us produce a fantastic experience for fans to enjoy throughout the tournament.”

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