Irish Car of the Year 2025 Awards Event
Celebrating its 45th year, the Irish Car of the Year (ICOTY) awards in association with Continental Tyres continues to set the standard for automotive excellence. For 2025, Cullen Communications once again delivered a multi-channel strategy aimed at raising the profile of the Awards.
The 2025 ceremony in Dublin’s Conrad Hotel welcomed over 160 guests, the highest attendance in recent years, including motoring journalists from all major print, online, and broadcast outlets, along with senior executives from the automotive brands competing for the awards.
Ahead of the awards, we supported ICOTY’s and Continental’s presence at the NEVO EV Show in the RDS, Dublin, where 22 vehicles proudly displayed ICOTY 2025 award eligibility and Continental Tyres branding to 19,500 visitors at the show.
Our strategic media engagement generated more than 125 earned articles across all media formats that mentioned the ICOTY award winners, including in-depth car reviews, all prominently featuring title sponsor Continental Tyres.
From creation of branded content, digital assets to event production and press outreach, Cullen Communications ensured the Irish Car of the Year 2025 awards was another standout campaign for the automotive industry, reinforcing its status as Ireland’s main awards platform and delivering strong brand exposure for Continental.
Media Relations
We developed a proactive media strategy, securing widespread national and regional coverage across online, print and broadcast, while managing all media queries, journalist engagement, and message alignment.
Content Creation
Produced a suite of creative assets, including vehicle branding, social content, event collateral, and guest communications, all designed to reinforce the ICOTY identity and drive engagement pre- and post-event.
Sponsorship
We ensured Continental Tyres received consistent and prominent exposure through press coverage, digital mentions, on-site branding, and strategic integration across all event touchpoints, reinforcing our client’s position as title sponsor.
Event Management
From venue coordination and guest experience to AV, photography, branded gifts, and the run-of-show, we managed the full production of the ICOTY 2025 event and its wider public-facing presence.
Digital Solutions
We supported the campaign’s digital footprint through website updates, content planning, social media activation, and real-time engagement to amplify visibility across owned and earned digital platforms.
Influencer Engagement
We invited two prominent Irish lifestyle creators to participate in the ICOTY drive days and awards event, managing all content briefing, scheduling, approvals and paid collaboration on behalf of Continental.
Results
160+ VIPs attended the awards with ICOTY branding visible to 19,500 visitors at the NEVO EV Show
125+ earned media articles featured ICOTY or winners, with consistent sponsor visibility for Continental Tyres
100K+ reach across 2 influencers’ IG Stories, and IG Reels generated 89K+ plays, strong engagement, and branded storytelling aligning Continental Tyres with trusted voices in lifestyle and motoring
Post-event survey responses were overwhelmingly positive across experience, venue, and overall event delivery
“The event was a huge success from start to finish and a credit to all those involved in the hard work behind the scenes.”
“The afternoon went exceptionally well. I got the sense from all who attended that they enjoyed the day and welcomed the opportunity to mingle with industry friends and colleagues in an informal and friendly environment.”
“The event was very enjoyable, relaxed, and well-paced. It was great to see so many people from the industry there”
The food was 10/10, To get it so right with the number of guests was very impressive. The quiz was a great way to mix with your table guests and brought like entertainment to the occasion.
