Toyota has signed the biggest television sponsorship deal ever, an
pounds 18 million package that attaches the motor company to most ITV
programmes airing on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day for the next five
years.
The deal should ensure that the first car promotion seen on British TV
in the new millennium will be for Toyota and it also covers all ITV
movie premieres for the next three years, as well as the disability
programme, Link, during 1998.
Negotiated by Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota’s agency, the package will form
the centrepiece for the pounds 10 million launch of its family saloon,
the Avensis.
Saatchis is creating six sets of sponsorship films for the event, which
will run in sequence from 10.30am on 31 December to midnight on 1
January 1998 across all 19 available programmes on ITV.
This will be followed by a national TV, press and poster campaign for
the Avensis which will break on Friday 2 January.
John Hardie, marketing and commercial director at ITV, said: ’The Toyota
deal breaks new ground for ITV sponsorship. It signals another milestone
in the growth of sponsorship which has continued to grow at a rate of 20
per cent a year since 1989.’
Mike Moran, marketing director at Toyota, added: ’This is a fantastic
deal for Toyota and demonstrates our commitment to ITV and the UK
market.
It will give the Avensis maximum presence at launch and guarantee
maximum awareness for the Toyota brand in general over the next few
years.’
Saatchis’ sponsorship films will each reflect a different movie genre
such as comedy, romance and thriller. All will end with the line, ’the
car in front is a Toyota’, and are expected to run on around 40 films a
year.
