Ballina scoops €50,000 advertising campaign

Ballina scoops €50,000 advertising campaign


Anna Marie Flynn

BALLINA was celebrating all weekend after the town scooped a €50,000 advertising bonanza courtesy of iRadio in association with Connacht Gold.
Last Wednesday, the north Mayo capital was named the winner of the iLand competition – the seven county catchment area for i102-104FM – after it beat off stiff competition from towns and villages all keen to get to grips with the creative advertising prize. 
Following adjudication of all the businesses participating in the town, the Broken Jug was named the overall winner – scooping €10,000 of the total €50,000 advertising prize fund for their business.  The bar and restaurant, which had a comprehensive window display bearing the iRadio logo, was announced as the winning business live on air by presenter Fergal D’Arcy during an outside broadcast from Quattro Bar and Restaurant on Thursday evening last.
The Galway-based radio team took to the streets interviewing participants and taking in the efforts of the town which renamed its main thoroughfare Pearse Street, ‘i Street’ for the day. Other streets in the town were rebranded after the names of various shows on the station including the ‘I Wake Up’ Street and the ‘I Go Home’ Street. 
Town Mayor, Cllr Mary Kelly, said she was thrilled with the news that Ballina was chosen as the winner. “There is a great buzz and atmosphere around the town and that is fantastic in itself. All the businesses taking part put in a huge effort. The Town Council also came on board when the authority agreed to rename Pearse Street ‘i Street’ and, considering the huge investment in our main street which is just about to be reopened, the competition came at the perfect time for Ballina.”
Chief Executive of the Chamber of Commerce, Sandra Cribben, also praised the efforts of the business community. “When the Town Council decided to rename the street, we decided to hop on board. Like many towns, Ballina needed a boost and this has created that boost. It was great to see traders coming together and coming up with ideas to work hard towards a shared goal,” she said.
The Chamber CEO also lauded Ballina Town Council’s Brian Breslin who designed many of the iRadio-themed artwork and posters erected throughout the town.
Presenter with the station, Fergal D’Arcy, thanked all those involved in making the event such a success. “It is absolutely fantastic to see so many people getting involved, this is what it is all about and every congratulations to Ballina and to the Broken Jug,” he said. 
Along with The Broken Jug, scores of businesses got involved to win the advertising prize fund for the town with traders displaying everything from the radio stations logo to branded balloons and even the ‘I Go Home army’ which was depicted by Oliver’s Menswear on Bridge Street. Quattro Bar and Restaurant, which hosted the outside broadcast, also worked heavily on the event and displayed a unique mural combining i-Street and the cult classic Sesame Street.
The i Street promotion is the latest in a long list of novel marketing concepts put forward by the regional station. Previous campaigns included the i102-104 Thief; the Naked Bus and the Truth Commission.