Channel 5 Hopes To Drive Viewers To 5th Gear

Channel 5 has announced details of its marketing campaign for the Top Gear-style motoring show 5th Gear.

The press and radio campaign has been described as a “high impact strategy designed to bombard the audience with the tune-in message” during the weekend before launch. The campaign will focus on the awareness and positive associations of presenters Quentin Wilson, Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson and Adrian Simpson, all Top Gear refugees.

Two different newspaper executions will appear, one in broadsheets and motoring sections and another in tabloids. Ads will also appear in motoring magazines and this will be followed by a three week radio campaign in which the presenters will update listeners on the content of that week’s programme.

This will be the first campaign under Channel 5’s new director of marketing and communications, David Pullen. He has been charged with chiefly targeting men aged 25-44. Pullen described it as “A straightforward, no-nonsense campaign which will talk directly to the millions of fans who want some entertainment with their motoring insight.”

Channel 5 has already secured sponsorship for the series from financial services company More Th>n (see More Th>n Sponsors C5 Motor Series).

Channel 5 celebrated five years on air last week, and with an average audience share nearing 6%, is thought to be making an effort to shed its reputation for down-market programming with an increase in meatier programming such as documentaries in its prime-time schedule (see Feature: Channel 5’s Reasons To Celebrate).

Channel 5: 020 7550 5555 www.channel5.com

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