ITV Scoops Toyota For Pop Sponsorship Deal

ITV Sales has announced a sponsorship deal with Toyota to cover its latest high profile sing-a-thon, Hit Me Baby One More Time, a prime time pop offering which gives some of the biggest acts of recent decades one last chance to reclaim their positions in the nation’s hearts.

The show, which features five different acts each week, will be used by Toyota to promote its seven-seater, family-orientated Verso, with creatives produced by Saatchi & Saatchi and featuring Leo Sayer.

Following in the tradition of ITV’s other TV talent contents, such as X Factor and Popstars, the public will be given the final say on who wins and who walks from Hit Me Baby One More Time, with each act put to a vote, with the winner going through to the grand final at the end of the series.

Hosted by Vernon Kay, the show will feature, Shakin Stevens, Belinda Carlisle, Haddaway and Jaki Graham amongst others. The series starts on 2 April.

Toyota’s sponsorship deal was negotiated by Tim Brady at Alliance, ZenithOptimedia’s sponsorship division, and Stewart Hunt, senior sponsorship and branded content executive at ITV Sales.

Commenting on the promotion, Hunt said: “This is a great opportunity for Toyota to associate themselves with what we hope will be a popular Saturday night show.”

Toyota’s marketing director, Matt Harrison, added: “Hit Me Baby One More Time allows us to showcase our 7-seat Verso at a time when the whole family are watching. With the plethora of MPVs targeting a family audience, there is a much greater emphasis on standing out in this market, and our sponsorship allows Verso to do that.”

The high-profile sponsorship deal is not the first time Toyota has worked with ITV to boost its image amongst key audiences. However, last year saw the car manufacturer leave ITV in the lurch, pulling out of a £25 million deal with the broadcaster to sponsor its formula one coverage, leaving ITV with less than six months to find a replacement (see ITV In Poll Position With Formula One Sponsorship).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com

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