Brands offered chance to congratulate Irish Olympians in special RTÉ ad breaks

The Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games are a 17-day affair from opening to closing ceremony but, for Irish advertisers, the key minutes will be in the wake of the hoped-for Irish triumphs.

RTÉ, which has the rights to the Games in August, is selling special "Medal Moments" advertising spots to companies who want to get their brands noticed during a spike in national cheer.

If Team Ireland wins a medal, the subsequent commercial break will feature a special “Medal Moment” featuring “bespoke congratulatory messages that your brand can be a part of”, according to RTÉ Media Sales.

“Have your brand at the heart of Irish glory this summer,” goes the optimistic pitch to potential advertisers.

In its brochure for the offer, RTÉ’s list of “the main contenders” for medals is headed by the men’s golf final on August 14th, where the “Medal Moment” ad has a spot price of €6,000 – although both of Ireland’s original medal hopes, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, have since withdrawn from the Games.

Boxers Katie Taylor, Joe Ward, Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes are next on the list in price, based on the predicted audience for the event, while the offer is also open to the ad breaks that follow potential medal wins for sailors Annalise Murphy, Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern and 50km walker Rob Heffernan.

If they miss out on a medal, and there is no feelgood factor as a result, the “themed break opportunity” will not run and advertisers can hold fire on their congratulations.