Leading discount retailer Lidl marks 25 years in Ireland with new three-year product placement deal with Ireland’s longest running drama

New deal with RTÉ Commercial is the largest broadcast product placement in Ireland

Ireland’s best value supermarket retailer Lidl has started construction work to develop a brand-new store in Carrigstown, located in Fair City, as the retailer continues to deliver on its ambitious expansion plans.

Lidl Ireland has secured a successful three-year product placement deal with Ireland’s longest running soap, Fair City. On-set construction of Lidl Carrigstown at RTÉ studios in Donnybrook is currently underway, with the first episode including the new supermarket retailer due to air in early summer.

Transforming the local supermarket, residents of the fictional Carrigstown will soon be able to ‘Go Full Lidl’ in the new Lidl Carrigstown store.

Featuring a realistic Lidl shop interior and exterior set designed by the retailer in collaboration with RTÉ, the store will be built in line with Lidl’s ‘concept’ store design which offers all of Carrigstown a premier shopping experience.

Designed to exacting standards to fit the requirements of the film set, Lidl Carrigstown will include key store features such as a modern welfare area for employees, a Deposit Return Machine and Lidl’s much-loved in-store bakery. As Ireland’s Most Sustainable Retailer, the Carrigstown store will also be fitted with some of Lidl’s pioneering energy solutions including EV charging points for customers.

Fair City, which first debuted on RTÉ in September 1989, is Ireland’s longest running drama series. Broadcasting four new episodes per week on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, the series delves into the daily lives, relationships, and challenges of its residents.

The new deal will place Lidl in the homes of over 600,000 viewers weekly* – with a further 100,000 viewers* streaming the show every week on RTÉ Player – and further embed the brand amongst key audiences as the retailer celebrates its 25th anniversary in Ireland this year.

Turning the sod at Lidl’s new Carrigstown store on the set of Fair City, Lidl Ireland Senior Project Manager, Tom Mughal said:

“Fair City is synonymous with Irish culture, so it’s only fitting that Lidl marks its 25th anniversary in Ireland by announcing a new, high profile product placement deal with the soap and the development of a brand-new Lidl Carrigstown store.

With 184 stores across Ireland welcoming around 2 million weekly customers, Lidl has an extensive reach, and our partnership with Fair City will further extend brand awareness amongst viewers. Located in the heart of the Carrigstown community, the new Lidl store will appear across the series over the next three years.

We’ll see characters interacting with our new Lidl Carrigstown store manager Renee and the store will incorporate all of Lidl’s latest in-store activity to support our wider sponsorships including with Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association and our charity partner Family Carers Ireland. We’re also looking forward to promoting our quality product range through product placement in the show, offering a chance to profile our extensive range of products sourced from our large network of Irish suppliers.

After 25 years of serving communities across Ireland, it’s fantastic to have our brand integrated into such an iconically Irish show and we look forward to promoting the partnership through our extensive store network, in-store leaflet and Lidl Plus app.”

Commenting on the news, Gavin Deans, Commercial Director, RTÉ said:

“We are delighted to work in partnership with Lidl on the largest broadcast product placement in Ireland. This partnership is a prime example of how a commercial partnership can seamlessly integrate an iconic retailer Lidl and Ireland’s favourite soap Fair City together. We’re looking forward to seeing Lidl become part of daily life in Carrigstown.”

Brigie de Courcy, Executive Producer, Fair City (pictured left above) added:

“We are thrilled to welcome Lidl as the new on-screen store in Fair City. Their commitment to supporting local communities aligns perfectly with the spirit of Carrigstown, and we’re excited to bring this partnership to life on screen. The shop is a central meeting point for the community and this collaboration opens up exciting new storytelling possibilities. The beloved Renee Phelan will soon take up her new position as Store Manager at Lidl Carrigstown. We look forward to seeing how Lidl’s presence enhances the vibrant world of Fair City for our viewers.”

Lidl Ireland currently employs more than 6,000 employees in its 184 stores, Head Office in Tallaght and three distribution centres and regional offices based in Charleville, Newbridge and Mullingar.

Lidl Ireland was recently named a ‘Top Employer’ by the Top Employers Institute for the fifth year running. The retailer was also named Most Reputable Retailer and 2nd Most Reputable Company in the 2024 RepTrak Ireland study, and was named Most Sustainable Retailer in Ireland, ranking #3 in the RepTrak® Sustainability Index for 2024.

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Caoilinn Putti, RTÉ Communications Lead | caoilinn.putti@rte.ie