This is contextualised through the concept of digital cultural nationalism which is employed to illustrate the curious position of national identity with regard to public expression and commercial use in much of the contemporary western world.

Perspectives on nationalism are drawn from in order to illustrate a rough spectrum of modern nationalism and identify the significant place of sport on this spectrum, and its subsequent appeal and significance for both advertisers and wider society. In addition, the cultural and commercial significance of both campaigns are placed within a wider international context with a view to illustrating the distinct potential of sport as a vehicle for commercial expressions of national identity. Thus, it incorporates a variety of perspectives on Irish cultural studies and sports studies in order to shed light on the factors which shaped the production and reception of each campaign.

Through exploring sponsorship campaigns Three commissioned for the Republic of Ireland international football (soccer) team and the Ireland international rugby union team, this project will expound on both the contextually specific nuances and wider international significance of the contemporary commercial leverage of the sport-nation nexus. Specifically, it examines the period in which telecommunications brand, Three, were the primary sponsors of both major international sports teams in Ireland.

This PhD project focuses on the intersection of sport, advertising and national identity.

Sportnation sponsorship