February 27, 2018
Sponsorships
Sunday saw the 71st British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) hit our screens and a whole host of big-brands were part of the event. BAFTA is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally.
Overnight figures estimate an audience of four million so there was plenty of brand exposure and publicity to be had. The ceremony was shown on BBC1, live-streamed on Facebook for an international audience, and added to BBC iPlayer.
Partnerships can be of great benefit for brands especially when they match their values. For example, the awards official bottled water, Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino, share quality, passion and authenticity values. With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at the benefits brands received.
It wasn’t just the film Three Billboards that was the big winner on the night, EE bagged itself as title sponsor for the event. Not only did the Rising Star Award feature the brand’s name, but the red-carpet show was also sponsored by the mobile network provider. EE has been sponsoring the event since 2013 when it replaced Orange.
Discussing a previously BAFTA ceremony that EE sponsored, Spencer McHugh, former director of Brand at EE, said: “Our relationship has been an extremely successful and collaborative one which has helped EE cement our role within the film industry as BAFTA continues to be most respected and revered film awards in the UK.”
BAFTA also relishes from the long-standing partnership. Chief Executive of BAFTA, Amanda Berry, said: “Working together we have grown and developed the Film Awards into an exciting and vibrant event with a global audience. We are very excited about the new opportunities we can now explore with EE and look forward to sharing the very best in cinema and engaging with more film fans than ever before.”
As the BAFTA’s official airline, American Airline extends its support of the film and entertainment industry with partnerships across the world. By partnering with the BAFTAs, the brand flies over the pond and reaches a UK audience.
This is also a clever partnership as over 300 of the latest and greatest movies are available on board every flight from London meaning every seat is a front row seat for film lovers when flying across the Atlantic. The airline also gets the honour of flying the stars to the awards.
On the BAFTA website, not only does it promote its sponsors and partners, BAFTA gives details of each brand and some of the benefits they have received.
Last night the 38th annual Brit Awards ceremony took place in London and for the 20th time, Mastercard was the headline sponsor. It’s fair to say that both the brand and its customers have benefitted greatly from this long-standing sponsorship and we’ve had a look at what Mastercard and other brands have got out of the awards.
Mastercard has relished its sponsorship with the Brits by continuing as the headline sponsor and sponsoring the Mastercard British Album of the Year Award. It has also given something back to its customers over the years too by providing cardholders with ‘priceless experiences’ to bring them closer to the music.
Lucky cardholders have been able to walk the Brit’s red carpet, attend an intimate gig, or meet their idols, as well as have access to priority booking to attend the ceremony.
On its website and social media channels, Mastercard is grabbing every opportunity to promote the sponsorship deal. There’s a page dedicated to the awards on its website, along with a countdown to the event. This provides great brand exposure for the brand.
The official music streaming and downloading partner of this year’s awards, Apple Music, is also presenting the British Female and Male Solo Artist categories. Apple Music has been promoting the awards since the initial nominees were announced and has continued its promotion through to the awards night.
Dedicated playlists are available on iTunes to help music fans discover new music as well as all the Brit nominees. In the digital age, this partnership makes perfect sense and by lining up a relevant partnership, both the Brit’s and Apple will gain positive brand exposure.
The luxury Swiss watchmaker is the official timing partner to the Brit’s and is one of few brands that uses the inspiration of music as the basis for its watch designs. Collections have been named after its founder’s passion for opera, as well as collaborations with globally well-known artists such as the Beatles, David Bowie, and Frank Sinatra.
The brand prides itself on supporting emerging and established talent and partners with a plethora of musical opportunities. Raymond Weil produces limited edition watches for the Brit’s and its long-standing 12-year partnership makes perfect sense and allows the brand to build on the opportunities available as well as increasing sales and the buzz around its watches.
Through its ongoing partnership with the Brits, Life Natural Spring Water sales have funded five clean water projects across Indian and Africa providing over 4,500 people access to clean water.
This partnership has allowed the brand to fund a good cause which increases its positive public image.
So, there we have it. Just a few examples of exciting opportunities brands can benefit from by sponsorship a big event. For more information on how ECHO could help you with corporate sponsorship opportunities, get in touch at hello@weareecho.co.uk or for all the latest news you can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
