Optimum Nutrition becomes the Official Nutrition Partner of Sky Sports

Sky Media announces Optimum Nutrition as the Official Nutrition Partner of Sky Sports.

The campaign marks the first foray of Optimum Nutrition into UK TV advertising. This year Optimum Nutrition is expanding their marketing strategy to harness the scale of TV and VOD platforms. Working in partnership with Sky Sports, the partnership will help the brand continue to build awareness and visibility, placing it at the heart of key moments and stories throughout an unmissable summer of sport.

The multisport execution will manifest in co-branded TV Commercials fronted by Sky Sports talent Micah Richards and Natalie Pinkham, alongside McLaren Racing’s Lando Norris and Optimum Nutrition’s own brand ambassador Lauren James.

Brokered by Manning Gottlieb OMD, the multi-platform partnership will run across Linear, Video on demand, Short-form video on demand, and social channels, with a brand evaluation to measure the campaign’s success through brand metrics including awareness, saliency and recognition.

Produced by Sky Media Commercial Productions, the campaign creative will comprise of 1 x 30” Hero TVC, 1 x 10” Hero TVC, and another 2 x 10” TVCs that focus on football and Formula 1. The TVCs will play out across general airtime as well as Premier League, British Grand Prix – F1 Race Day, Grand Prix and The Open.

Beyond the media campaign, Optimum Nutrition and Sky Media will be activating with a unique customer engagement partnership that rewards Optimum Nutrition customers with exclusive Sky deals and encourages Sky customers to purchase Optimum Nutrition products at preferential prices.

Karin Seymour, Director of Client and Marketing at Sky Media said: “As we head into an incredibly exciting summer of sport, the timing couldn’t be better for Optimum Nutrition to make its TV debut in the UK. It’s great that we’re creating a deeper connection between sports fans and Optimum Nutrition by introducing the brand as Sky Sports’ official nutrition partner.”

Will Klug, Head of Brand at Optimum Nutrition UK said, “For us, Sky Sports is the perfect partner – one that will give us access to the best selection of sports programming, while providing an unbeatable combination of scale and relevance. Sky Sports viewers naturally align with our own customers and that’s what really excites us about this partnership.”

Harriet Fisher, Head of Partnerships at MG OMD added, “As Sky Sports Official Nutrition Partner, the brands will work together to motivate, excite, and inspire key audiences. An incredibly exciting partnership to scale Optimum Nutrition UK’s activation within the AV space, which will enable us to drive visibility, impact and awareness by placing the brand alongside key sporting moments and stories.”

SEA LIFE Makes a Splash on Sky Media’s Kids Portfolio as First-Ever Exclusive Morning Sponsor

Merlin Entertainments’ SEA LIFE is set to become the first-ever exclusive sponsor of Mornings on Sky Media’s kids channels, with the aim of driving national brand awareness amongst its target audience of families.

The multi-channel sponsorship deal has been facilitated by Wavemaker UK, Sky Media and its media partners – Narrative Entertainment, Paramount UK and Warner Bros. Discovery – and will see the creative play out across Sky Media’s nine dedicated commercial kids’ channels every morning from 06:00-09:00. Targeting the 1.4m parents and 2.7m children watching those channels, the campaign launches going into the Easter weekend and aims to drive awareness amongst families of SEA LIFE’s 11 centres across the UK, in Birmingham, Blackpool, Brighton, Great Yarmouth, Gweek, Hunstanton, Loch Lomond, London, Manchester, Scarborough and Weymouth.

SEA LIFE’s sponsorship will debut on 29 March for the Easter holidays and will run until the end of 2024 – showing up when families need inspiration for activities to do together. During this time, the sponsorship will run on the following linear channels: Nickelodeon, Nick Toons, Nick Jr, Nick Jr Too, POP, POP MAX, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito. The partnership will use Sky Media’s breadth of first-party data and Sky AdVance targeting tool to reach and connect with parents, in a brand safe environment.

Karin Seymour, Director of Client and Marketing at Sky Media, commented: “Parents trust TV more than any other platform. Combining that with those important shared sofa moments that drive conversation, SEA LIFE will connect and engage with families up and down the country across our entire kids’ portfolio.”

Sue Stephenson, Merlin Entertainments, Midway UK Marketing Director, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Sky Media to explore uncharted waters as the exclusive sponsor of mornings between 6 and 9am across all of the commercial kids TV channels. Not only is this sponsorship a first for us, but it’s the first time all of these channels are collaborating too. Easter usually marks the beginning of warmer months, and we are looking forward to building awareness and inspiring families to spend their quality family time at our 11 SEA LIFE attractions this summer.”

Molly Exley-Kidd, Content Director at Wavemaker added: “The morning programming across Sky Media’s kids’ channels has captured the hearts and minds of families up and down the country. Through this sponsorship, Merlin will be able to further engage with its key audience, connecting with families looking for inspirational and educational outings everyone can enjoy. It’s been a true collaboration between the Wavemaker, Merlin and Sky Media teams, helping to drive visitation for SEA LIFE via a full takeover of much-loved channels during breakfast – a key moment in the day. We look forward to seeing the results it will deliver.”

Horlicks Makes Long-Awaited TV Comeback

Iconic hot beverage brand Horlicks is returning to TV screens for the first time in 20 years via AdSmart from Sky.

The first month-long campaign will launch on the 19th of February with the commercial airing in 30-second slots. Utilising Sky Media’s addressable targeting technology, the campaign will reach specific audiences in Sky and Virgin households across the North West BARB region.

The feel-good creative, developed by Manchester-based creative agency Doodledo in close partnership with Horlicks manufacturers Aimia Foods, has been designed to challenge the perception of Horlicks as a bedtime drink, instead positioning the much-loved malted beverage as a way to make everyday a bit more ‘stress-free’, ‘calm’, ‘comfortable’ and ‘relaxing’.

The campaign message is brought to life by way of a series of light-hearted scenarios in which several individuals – who look as if they are preparing for bedtime – are being comforted by a Horlicks in everyday situations. The commercial ends with a catchy tagline, ‘Horlicks – not just a bedtime thing’.

Rebekha White, Brand Manager at Aimia Foods, commented: “Horlicks’ return to TV after two decades marks a hugely exciting development for the brand, one which we are confident will help us to meet our key objectives of increasing front-of-mind awareness and purchase consideration within our growth focus audience.”

Rebekha continued, “The message behind our memorable creative, which tackles brand perception head-on and in a humorous way, is also designed to drive frequency of purchase by demonstrating the ways Horlicks can add comfort to consumers’ everyday lives, and not just at bedtime. The initial regional-focused TV campaign will be supported by a comms plan including PR, influencer marketing and digital advertising with plans to extend the campaign nationally in Q4.”

David Sanderson, Director of AdSmart Local and Development said, “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Horlicks back to TV after a long hiatus, and we’re excited to help such an iconic, well-known brand reach new audiences with AdSmart’s targeting capabilities.

“AdSmart is the ideal platform to deliver Horlicks’ key objectives and campaign messaging, so we look forward to growing a new consumer base in the next chapter for their business.”

The Horlicks brand was acquired by Aimia Foods in April 2018. Comforting families for 150 years, it is the oldest malted drink brand (in fact it is older than the tea bag which dates from 1904), and has nourished soldiers, given sustenance to explorers and fortified athletes since 1873.

Made in Britain since 1906, Horlicks has a strong British heritage, and formed part of the forces kit bag during WW2 due to its ‘complete and well-balanced nourishment’.

With over 25 production lines across 225,000 sq ft. of product site space, Aimia Foods pack, manufacture and distribute a wide range of food and beverage products in a number of different packaging formats, with particular specialism in blending and manufacturing ambient, dry, powder-based products.

Based in Haydock, Aimia covers a multitude of markets and categories for retail, cash & carry, food service, vending as well as offering a co-manufacturing service across the business. For more information, visit www.horlicks.co.uk

Sky brings TV and digital closer together with new Search Behaviour Targeting

Sky Media, has announced new Search Behaviour targeting capability for the AdSmart addressable platform. Driven by wider industry demand to bring digital and TV campaigns closer together, Search Behaviour attributes allows brands for the first time to target audiences based on specific online search behaviours including frequency and intent.

Using search data categorised by frequency and intent, which is then matched to Sky’s first party data – advertisers can engage audiences who are in market and actively searching for products and services. Leveraged through market leading AdSmart, targeted ads are delivered into relevant households in both live and on demand content across millions of Sky, Virgin and Now homes.

Seven search behaviour categories are available at launch: Home & Garden, Travel, News, Job & Education, Arts and Entertainment, Games, Pets and Animals. Search Behaviour Targeting identifies people at every stage of their purchase journey, from initial research, through to adding items to their online basket. Search behaviour habits can be combined with any of the other existing 1000+ AdSmart attributes to refine campaigns. This could include postcodes, lifestage, mosaic groups or an advertiser’s own first party data. As an example, a custom campaign could see a holiday or insurance company target those who are actively searching for holidays or flights. This could be further refined or creative adapted to those looking at beach, sightseeing or ski holidays in a specific area of the country. The Search Behaviour targeting capability has been developed in conjunction with Captify, who are the largest independent holder of search data.

Ruth Cartwright, Investment Director at Sky Media – “TV remains the most effective and engaging platform for brands. Being able to embrace the best capabilities of digital but in the brand safe, big screen, world of TV, makes campaigns more relevant and impactful. That’s what we’re hearing from brands and agencies, so that’s where we’re focusing our innovations.”

Helping advertisers connect with audiences wherever they watch is part of an ongoing roadmap of innovation from Sky Media, bringing TV and digital closer together. AdSmart launched nearly ten years ago and was the world’s first TV addressable advertising platform. Launched a few years later Sky AdVance opened-up digital targeting based on TV viewing and upcoming Creative Optimisation will help performance brands programmatically adapt their TV creatives to optimise response.

Casillero del Diablo’s award-winning ad campaign returns to the screen as Pedro Pascal stars in The Last of Us

‘The World’s Greatest Thief’ campaign to be shown during new Sky Atlantic series launching on 16th January 2023

• 20-second ad will feature for 10 weeks during TV and BVOD transmission up to 21st March
• Backed up by social amplification and Instagram campaign
• Pedro Pascal-fronted ad voted Top Campaign: Still Wine by The Grocer in December 2022

Casillero del Diablo, the leading Chilean wine brand and a Top 5 wine by value in the UK*, is delighted to announce that their most recent, award-winning ad campaign will return to the screens to coincide with the launch of its star’s latest drama series on SKY.

Pedro Pascal, the Chilean – American actor famous for roles in Narcos, Game of Thrones and in the title role of Disney+ series The Mandalorian, stars in HBO’s the Last of Us. Based on the 2013 video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog, the series will follow Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States.

“The World’s Greatest Thief” campaign first launched at the end of 2021 and has seen major gains in awareness for the leading Chilean wine brand Casillero del Diablo.

Preety Johl, Marketing Manager for Casillero del Diablo in the UK, says: “We’re so pleased to be back on screens to accompany this very exciting new series. Pedro Pascal’s involvement with Casillero del Diablo has been a fantastic awareness driver for the brand, and with his profile higher than ever, we look forward to reaching new audiences via this launch. We’re expecting to deliver more than 670,000 ABC impressions across linear and VOD over this ten-week period.”

Pascal also stars in the forthcoming series 3 of The Mandalorian, which goes on air in late February 2023.

*NielsenIQ, Total Market, 52w 3.12.22

BMW drives technology innovation as new TV sponsor of Sky Arts

BMW’s new sponsorship across the UK’s only dedicated Arts and Culture free-to-air TV channel, Sky Arts, launches for 12 months on 10 December 2022, as part of the deal brokered by Wavemaker.

BMW and Sky Media today announced Sky Arts’ biggest-ever sponsorship agreement showcasing the synergies between Sky Arts programming with BMW: Innovation, design, performance and sustainability driven by technology. The multi-million pound TV sponsorship deal, featuring voiceover by actor James D’Arcy, was brokered between Sky Media and global media agency, Wavemaker.

Debuting tomorrow – 10th December post 6am, the sponsorship will run across the UK’s only dedicated Arts and Culture free-to-air TV channel for 12 months.

Matched to BMW’s innovative vehicles, the Sky Arts channel creates an immersive, cultural experience for a passionate and engaged audience, who value quality and innovation. Reflected in the creative, BMW will speak to its audiences’ broad passions throughout this sponsorship by bringing to life technology stories from the brand’s latest models in a series of 1 x 15” & 2 x 5” idents, created by the brand’s retained advertising agency, The Marcom Engine (TME).

The new and all-electric BMW i7 and the BMW iX will feature in the new Sky Arts idents, showcasing a range of the brand’s most innovative technologies including crystal headlights that follow the corner of the road, a panoramic glass sunroof that opens to another world, and an automated parking assistant designed to simplify the end of every journey. The ground-breaking BMW i7 features an ultra-wide 31.3-inch 8K theatre screen for the most immersive rear-seat viewing experience available in any vehicle on the market, allowing passengers to indulge in innovative multisensory entertainment on the move and providing a strong synergy with Sky Arts’ creative programming.

Michelle Roberts, Marketing Director, BMW UK, said: “We’re incredibly excited to work with Sky Media to build awareness for the cutting-edge technology at the heart of the latest BMW models. Sky Arts is defined by its original and imaginative programming and there could not have been a more logical fit to showcase the innovation which is built into the BMW i7 and BMW iX. Featuring the 8K fold-down theatre screen in the rear of the vehicle, the new BMW i7 provides the perfect opportunity for passengers to be entertained on their journey with Sky Arts programming.”

Lauren Bolsover, Content Lead, Wavemaker UK, said: “This a fantastic sponsorship which will offer a great opportunity to showcase the first-ever fully electric BMW, showing how both art and technology are intertwined. Sky Arts, with its premium content, was the obvious choice, and we have no doubt this sponsorship will offer many opportunities to bring BMW’s brand story to life – on and off screen.”

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning, Sky Media added: “We’re absolutely delighted to announce ‘Technology from BMW’ as the sponsor of Sky Arts, showcasing the brand’s most innovative technologies, and linking the best of music, theatre, drama and comedy to the BMW brand.”

Wavemaker was responsible for all media planning, buying and brokering the sponsorship deal with Sky Media.

Ecosia launches first-ever TV and Out-of-Home advertising campaign ‘Weird Search Requests’ with Sky Media and JCDecaux UK

The green search engine launches its campaign on April 5th to let new users know they can plant trees with their searches – no matter how weird

Green search engine, Ecosia, in partnership with Sky Media and JCDecaux, launches its first major international brand campaign in the UK and cities across Europe. The multi-channel campaign lets millions of potential users know they can turn their searches – no matter how weird – into trees.

With more than 120 million trees already funded by users’ searches globally, Ecosia expects the campaign to generate significant growth for tree planting. Aiming to build brand awareness of the tree planting search engine, Sky Media and JCDecaux UK have developed a campaign incorporating TV and OOH to reach Ecosia’s target audience of eco-conscious 18-to-34-year olds. The inspiration for the campaign stems from an award-winning bespoke brand video created by students at Germany’s Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg for a class assignment. The film consequently won a number of awards, including a Silver Screen in the prestigious Young Director Award at Cannes. Ecosia’s marketing team has since obtained a 12-month license for the video.

Hannah Wickes, CMO at Ecosia, commented: “‘Weird Search Requests’ is our first major OOH and TV campaign and we couldn’t be happier to be working with such engaged partners as JCDecaux and Sky Media. Both partners are committed to Net Zero, and have their own ambitious targets to tackle the climate crisis. Their support on this campaign means we can reach millions of new Ecosia users. Our audience is uniquely young and active and growing rapidly, with over a million users already in the UK alone, but we need our movement to grow even faster to keep pace with the climate emergency. With new users joining across Europe with this campaign, we will be able to plant millions more trees and expand our critical work of regenerating forests around the world.”

By using AdSmart for the first time, Ecosia’s ‘Weird Search Requests’ campaign will use the power of TV to target eco-conscious consumers across six UK cities. These UK locations mirror, and in certain areas expand on, the OOH campaign locations from JCDecaux UK as part of its Nurture Programme. JCDecaux UK’s billboards are printed on 100% recycled paper.

Katharine Dunlap, Head of Direct to Scale at Sky Media, commented: “We’re thrilled Ecosia has chosen Sky Media to introduce its “Weird Search Requests” campaign to TV for the first time. The power of AdSmart is highlighted in this campaign as we target specific households throughout the UK who care about the environment as much as we do and, of course, Ecosia does! We’re also excited to be working closely with JCDecaux UK where our research teams will measure the campaign’s success and impact of a collaborative omni-channel media plan.”

‘Weird Search Requests’ will roll out across more than 3,700 billboards and posters across 12 cities in Europe, and across London, Manchester and Edinburgh in the UK. The Digital Out-of-Home creative will include a mix of 6 second static and 10 second motion, and in Germany features a creative variant that uses dynamic, real-time content to display the tree counter from the Ecosia website, showing how many trees its users have planted around the world.

Joe Hills, Head of Nurture at JCDecaux UK, commented: “We are thrilled to have worked so closely with Ecosia and Sky Media on this ‘Weird Search Requests’ campaign, supporting it in multiple markets through our growing international start-up programme, Nurture. Not only are our businesses aligned from an environmental and sustainability perspective, but we all recognise the important role we play in tackling climate change. JCDecaux is well on its way to becoming a carbon neutral business, set to achieve this milestone by 2030. We are also proud to be the first Out-of-Home company to join Ad Net Zero, the UK advertising industry’s initiative to help respond to the climate crisis. Collaborative campaigns with green partners such as this further underpin our sustainability commitment, something that we know is key to the future of our cities and an integral part in showing respect for people and the environment.”

To measure the campaign’s success, Sky Media’s brand research team is working together with JCDecaux UK on a study to measure the campaign’s overall impact on brand awareness and its effectiveness across the targeted areas in the UK.