Thinkbox
Sponsorship has been successfully combined with advertiser funded programming or product placement as part of a deeper content partnership. This means there are plenty of opportunities for advertisers to get directly involved in the creation of programme content and to extend their sponsorship even further. The trick here, as always, is to put viewers first. Here are a few examples to get you inspired:
Go.Compare and The Voice of Choice
In 2022, Go Compare, the price comparison website was rebranding to become Go.Compare – a subtle but important difference that needed to be communicated widely in an entertaining and memorable way.
They partnered with ITV’s The Voice and created some highly entertaining sponsorship idents featuring their moustachioed opera singer, Gio Compario and his real-life counterpart Wynne Evans. The idents told the story of their search for a third tenor, Dot – someone who is as passionate about singing and insurance as they are.
Hearts & Science and Drum brokered a deal that extended the sponsorship into IP licensing to maximise the association. 18 short films were created documenting the search for Dot, all filmed on a modified The Voice set.
To support the partnership and engage the audience even further, a three-minute branded mockumentary, ‘The Wyn-ner’s Story’ told the full story of The Voice of Choice vocal competition and provided behind-the-scenes clips and character back story profiles.
The partnership reached 16m people, driving awareness of the name change and is a fantastic example of how a brand can integrate with a popular TV show. You can read more about it here.
Volvo and Sky Atlantic
Volvo have a long-running partnership with Sky Atlantic as they have been the channel sponsor since 2014.
For Volvo, the key objective behind the sponsorship was about changing perceptions about the brand. Volvo has always been associated with being safe which is highly important for a car. However, they also wanted to be seen as a premium choice and they believed that by sponsoring the high-quality programming on Sky Atlantic, they could achieve brand rub.
This is exactly what happened and Volvo started to gain a foothold in the premium automotive sector. However, they wanted to do more to stand out.
Working with Mindshare and Grey, they created a new brand platform – ‘Human Stories’. These human stories were 4-to-7-minute docudramas which told the story of people trying to make the world a better place.
As the sponsorship has progressed, so has the associated branded content. More recently, the new versions of Human Stories were titled, ‘What does the future look like?’ These stories highlighted the sustainable elements of production on Sky Atlantic while mirroring the efforts that Volvo were making in this area.
The shorts were launched across linear, VOD and Sky social channels and included integration with Sky’s EPG guide via voice search.
This partnership showcases how branded content and sponsorship can work hand in hand to promote brand benefits. You can read more about this partnership here.
Land Rover Defender and the Rugby World Cup
Defender has been an active and passionate supporter of rugby for two decades and has a proud heritage in helping people discover rugby at all levels – from grassroots to the elite.
In the autumn of 2023, they became the sponsor of all tournament coverage of the Rugby World Cup on ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX.
To support this sponsorship, their agency Hearts & Science created branded content featuring six “Trailblazers” - individuals who represent the very best of rugby and inspire others to be capable of great things. Each person featured had triumphed over adversity and demonstrated what inner strength and courage looks like. The people who starred in this content included:
Irtiqa Ayoub who defied cultural barriers to become a national champion and paved the way for other young girls in India to pursue their sporting dreams
Cyril Leroy who set up France’s first LGBTQ+ rugby team, Les Gaillards, providing people from the LGBTQ+ community the opportunity to play in a team they feel represents them
Jacob Pickering, aged 14, who was born without his left forearm but didn’t let this hold him back from pursuing his dream to play rugby
The branded content was a positive addition to the broadcast sponsorship and enabled Defender to highlight their brand ethos and celebrate inspiring people from the world of rugby.
Tassimo and Steph’s Packed Lunch
Innovative coffee pod system TASSIMO tried sponsorship for the first time when they teamed up with Channel 4’s BAFTA-nominated Steph’s Packed Lunch.
To maximise their association with the programme, their agencies Havas and JUMP negotiated a sponsorship package that included a license to use the show’s IP and product placement in the show.
Bosch TASSIMO new coffee machines were placed in the background of the programme throughout the 14-month sponsorship.
Product placement is a great way to reinforce the association being made by the on-air idents. It won’t be possible in some sponsored programmes but is definitely worth exploring where PP is possible.