For ambitious food brands, breaking through on television can feel out of reach. This latest media campaign Ireland story shows how targeted support can change that, with Harry’s Nut Butter and Sugar Plum Sweetery each securing major backing through Sky Media’s Taste of TV fund.
The two Irish SMEs have been announced as the winners of the second annual initiative, created by Sky Media in partnership with Love Irish Food. Each brand will receive an advertising package worth €50,000, including the production of a professionally made TV commercial and a fully funded television advertising campaign. For smaller companies looking to scale, it is a significant opportunity to build awareness, reach new audiences and compete with more established names.
Media Campaign Ireland Boost for Emerging Food Brands
The Taste of TV fund is designed to help Irish food and drink businesses access the kind of marketing support that is often reserved for brands with much larger budgets. In 2026, the initiative expanded, with two winners selected instead of one, effectively doubling the scale of the programme from its debut year.
That expansion matters in the context of the wider media campaign Ireland landscape. As consumer brands compete across digital, social and retail channels, television still offers a powerful platform for broad reach, brand trust and memorable storytelling. For SMEs, however, the cost of creative production and airtime can be a major barrier.
By covering both the ad creation process and the TV media spend, the fund removes that barrier and gives fast-growing brands a realistic shot at national visibility.
What the Winners Receive
Each winning brand will benefit from a package that includes:
- A professionally produced television commercial
- A fully funded TV advertising campaign across Sky Media inventory
- Strategic exposure designed to build brand awareness
- Access to a high-impact platform that can support retail and consumer growth
This kind of media campaign Ireland support is particularly valuable for challenger brands in competitive grocery and specialty food categories, where shelf presence alone is no longer enough to drive sustained demand.
Who Won the Taste of TV Fund?
The 2026 winners are Harry’s Nut Butter and Sugar Plum Sweetery, two Irish businesses already connected to Love Irish Food, the organisation that champions homegrown food and drink brands.
Harry’s Nut Butter
Founded by Harry Colley, Harry’s Nut Butter has built its name around a focused product offering in a category that continues to benefit from health-conscious consumer interest and demand for natural, premium pantry staples. Winning this media campaign Ireland opportunity gives the brand a new platform to tell its story at scale.
Sugar Plum Sweetery
Sugar Plum Sweetery, co-founded by Denise Buckley and David Quirke, also secured one of the two top spots. The brand now has the chance to translate its product appeal into a polished broadcast campaign that can connect with households across Ireland and help strengthen its market position.
For both businesses, the value goes beyond the headline €50,000 figure. A strong television launch can influence consumer perception, improve recognition at point of sale and create momentum that extends into PR, social media and retailer conversations.
Why TV Advertising Still Matters in a Media Campaign Ireland Strategy
While digital marketing often dominates discussions around growth, TV remains a highly influential medium for consumer brands. A successful media campaign Ireland plan does not always mean choosing one channel over another. Instead, it often comes down to using television as a trust-building anchor alongside digital amplification.
TV advertising offers several advantages:
- Mass reach: It can introduce a brand to large audiences quickly.
- Credibility: Consumers often associate television presence with legitimacy and quality.
- Creative impact: Motion, sound and storytelling can communicate brand values more effectively than static formats.
- Retail support: Strong awareness can help convert in-store and online shoppers.
For Irish SMEs, the challenge is rarely about understanding TV’s value. It is about affording the production and placement required to make it work. That is why initiatives like Taste of TV are so important within the broader media campaign Ireland ecosystem.
The Role of Sky Media and Love Irish Food
This programme reflects a shared effort by Sky Media and Love Irish Food to support domestic brand growth. Love Irish Food has long acted as a platform for Irish producers, while Sky Media brings the commercial broadcasting expertise and inventory needed to turn ambition into a visible campaign.
Together, they are not just funding ads. They are creating access to professional creative development, strategic media planning and a chance for smaller brands to prove what TV can do for sales and recognition.
That makes this more than a prize. It is a practical model for how the industry can nurture innovation among local businesses. In a crowded marketplace, the right media campaign Ireland initiative can help transform strong products into nationally recognised brands.
What Happens Next?
The campaigns for Harry’s Nut Butter and Sugar Plum Sweetery are expected to launch later this year. That next stage will be closely watched by marketers, retailers and fellow SMEs interested in how television can accelerate growth for emerging food and drink names.
If the campaigns perform well, they may also reinforce the case for continued investment in similar opportunities for Irish brands. For many businesses, seeing peers succeed with broadcast advertising makes the idea of TV feel more achievable.
In that sense, this announcement is not only good news for the two winners. It also sends a wider signal to the market about what is possible when funding, creativity and media access come together in one smart media campaign Ireland programme.
Conclusion
Harry’s Nut Butter and Sugar Plum Sweetery have secured far more than funding; they have earned a national stage. Their success in Sky Media’s Taste of TV fund highlights the growing importance of accessible broadcast opportunities within the media campaign Ireland market, especially for promising local brands ready to scale. As their TV campaigns roll out later this year, they will offer a valuable example of how strategic advertising support can help Irish SMEs turn brand potential into real consumer reach.
