The Hits Secures Exclusive Partnership With Unilever
Emap Advertising and Initiative Media have secured a six-figure deal that will see the global consumer goods giant Unilever become the sole FMCG advertiser on The Hits music channel for the next year.
The exclusive deal covers the promotion of some of Unilever’s most renowned youth-focused brands such as Lynx, Impulse, CK, Cerruti Organics and Marmite. It includes the potential for sponsorship, promotions, text message and airtime activity.
Emap Advertising and Starcom Mediavest have also secured TMG Interactive as the exclusive mobile content partner for The Hits, in a deal that will include ringtones, Java games and a range of other interactive telephony properties.
Commenting on the agreement, Emap TV sales director, Darren Khan, said: “Emap Advertising made the landmark decision of offering category exclusive advertising on The Hits following independent research into the music television sector. Our findings led us to the conclusion that keeping ad breaks shorter and more relevant was a very effective way of retaining viewers.”
Ilker Shakir, broadcast director at Initiative, added: “The exclusive category partnership for Unilever on The Hits offers a fantastic opportunity to develop a unique relationship with our consumers inside the Freeview platform through traditional spot and creative multi-media solutions.”
The agreement is the second in a series of deals offering advertisers in specific categories the chance to become the channel’s exclusive advertising partner in their sector. Other categories under consideration include confectionery, mobile networks and hygiene/beauty.
Last year Emap Advertising secured Burger King as the sole fast food brand to advertise on The Hits music channel throughout 2004. The deal saw the length of commercial breaks on the channel limited to four and a half minutes per hour in an attempt to achieve greater stand-out (see Emap Bags Burger King For Exclusive TV Deal).
The Hits has been performing well since its launch on Freeview in October 2003. The channel has seen its share of mulitchannel viewing rise steadily to 0.27%, despite increasing competition from other high-profile brands on the digital terrestrial platform (see Freeview Digital Service Will Launch This Month).
Emap Advertising: 0207 295 8537 www.emapadvertising.com
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