The wind machines have been tested, dance routines perfected and wardrobe malfunctions eliminated. At this stage, there is not much you can do about the singing or the song choice.
So as one pageant in Britain ends, another begins, with the Eurovision song contest semi-finals kicking off in Liverpool on Tuesday. Whether you consider it a cringeworthy affair or the World Cup of music, it is one of the most-watched shows on the planet, with 180 million people expected to tune in.
Viewers may watch expecting to hear some cheesy songs but these days the sponsors are big cheeses, too – including the cream cheese maker Philadelphia – as the business world embraces Eurovision’s inclusive message and the spending might of that huge fanbase.
When tickets for the final sold out in about half an hour, fans joked they would “live on Philadelphia” in an attempt to win the VIP tickets up for grabs on limited-edition packs. When you think about it, the marriage of Philadelphia and “Europe’s cheesiest song contest” is the stuff of Don Draper.
This year, the Christmas favourite Baileys also wants to be on your radar if you are planning a “Eurosoiree”. The brand has inked a three-year deal with Eurovision and enlisted the 2014 winner, Conchita Wurst, as a brand ambassador.
Paul Carton, Baileys’ global marketing director, said it wanted to be part of the “world’s most joyful global celebration of inclusive and diverse cultures and communities”. The deal means the Austrian drag queen can be found shaking Baileys cocktails on its social media channels.
While these tie-ups appear as frivolous as last year’s Norwegian entry – Subwoolfer’s Give That Wolf a Banana – more well-known brands want to be part of the spectacle and have more opportunity to do so.
While going out on the BBC means “nul points” for advertisers in the UK, the contest now airs on Eurovision’s own YouTube channel. It is also livestreamed on TikTok. With a week to go, #Eurovision2023 has already garnered more than 1bn video views on the app.
Dr Paul Jordan, an expert on the contest who is known as Dr Eurovision, says sponsorship has been part of Eurovision for a long time, with its presence sometimes causing headaches for the BBC.
“It used to be difficult to attract large, mainstream sponsors but now this doesn’t appear to be such a challenge,” said Jordan, who suggested this was down to a “renewed appreciation of the contest. It also embodies the values of a lot of people, particularly the younger generation.
“Social media is a big part of the attractiveness for brands,” he added. “Songs have gone on to become viral hits thanks to TikTok. Armenia’s entry last year came 20th on the night, yet went on to become a huge hit online – probably the most successful ever in terms of streams and downloads.”
The competition is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is an alliance of public services broadcasters. It is a co-production between the host broadcaster and other participating outlets who pay a fee to take part. Sponsorship revenue helps offset the costs of the event.
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This year’s partners include the beauty brand Moroccanoil, the travel site Booking.com, TikTok, Baileys, and Mondelēz, the US food group behind Philadelphia. The BBC’s national sponsors include easyJet and Google.
An EBU spokesperson said the contest’s huge global reach and values of “inclusiveness, diversity and universality” made the event popular with brands.
Liverpool is hoping that staging Eurovision will bring a £40m boost for the city. With songs interspersed with awkward travel clips, easyJet’s pitch that it offers “more seats between the UK and Eurovision countries than any other airline” also makes sense.
Joe Cuffaro, the head of PR and marketing at the communications agency WSA, said: “Eurovision acts as a bit of tourism ad for the host country, as well as the other entrants. Then, for brands like Baileys, there is all the partying that goes on. I think the fact it does not take itself too seriously is part of the mass appeal.”
Finally, don’t forget Invivo X Unity if you are settling down to watch. No, it is not the Italian entry, it’s the “official prosecco of the Eurovision song contest”. With a bottle design that aims to “inspire more unity around the world” this exclusive £12 fizz can only be found at Ocado and, yes, there is a rosé version, too.
