ITV Secures Nestlé As Record £6m Sponsor Of Pop Idol
ITV has secured Nestlé as the record £6 million sponsor of the next series of Pop Idol.
The deal, which is the richest ever co-promotion for one series on British television, includes all on-air and off-air activity and will see a range of Nestlé brands promoted alongside the new series of Pop Idol, which will form a key element of ITV1’s prime-time schedule later this year.
A range of promotional activity is reportedly being planned to support the sponsorship, including on-pack, in-store and online campaigns designed to bring the series closer to UK consumers. Special edition confectionery products may also be created by Nestlé to mark the sponsorship.
The concept for the deal was created by M&C Saatchi and was brokered by Mindshare’s Broadmind in a collaboration between ITV and Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment, which owns the rights to the show.
Commenting on the deal, Nick Hurrell, chief executive of M&C Saatchi said: “This is more than a broadcast sponsorship, it is an unprecedented package of marketing activity covering on-air broadcasts, off-air communications, through to packaging and merchandising.”
Andrew Harrison, marketing director of Nestlé Rowntree added: “We are delighted to be associated with the UK’s hottest TV phenomenon. ITV and Simon Fuller’s 19 Management have put together the best sponsorship deal in television this year and it will showcase our products perfectly.”
The lucrative deal will be welcomed by ITV, which has been suffering at the hands of the ongoing adverting downturn. Earlier this month news emerged that ITV’s share of the advertising market could fall after advertisers decided to reduce the amount of money they intend to spend on the Network this year (see Advertisers Cut ITV Spend Following Drop In Ratings).
ITV: 0207 843 8000 www.itv.com
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