ITV Signs Insurance Firm For F1 Sponsorship

ITV Sales has secured insurance firm Swiftcover as the new sponsor of its Formula 1 coverage, providing branding across on air programming and the broadcaster’s associated internet site.

Negotiated by Mark Rosenegk, controller of sponsorship and branded content at ITV Sales, and Andy Thornes, TV director at Initiative Media, the deal will see Swiftcover sponsor race broadcasts, qualifying programmes on ITV1 and highlights on ITV4.

Starting on 23rd April with the Imola race, the deal also includes sponsorship of the broadcaster’s dedicated website, which features round-the-clock news and views, attracting 700,000 unique users and 13.8 million page impressions every month.

ITV is the sole broadcaster of live Formula 1 coverage in Britain, with coverage of the opening Grand Prix at Bahrain peaking at 4.5 million viewers; a 38 percent audience share when it was broadcast last month.

Explaining the deal’s strong fit with Swiftcover’s brand, Tina Shortle, marketing director at the insurance firm, said: “This sponsorship deal forms part of our integrated marketing strategy to build on the swiftcover.com brand and reach our target audience in an unexpected and impactful way. In a highly competitive market, it is key that our brand name gets on people’s shopping lists and encourages them to get a quote.”

Sponsorship creatives will be produced by Mortimer Whittaker O’Sullivan, with frustrated Formula 1 drivers shown talking to chickens wearing headsets in the pits of a race track. The characters are designed to mirror the ‘call centre chickens’ featured in swiftcover.com’s recent TV advertising.

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com