ITV joins with Times and Vauxhall to launch scratchcard

ITV is linking up with Times Newspapers and Vauxhall, its broadcast sponsor for coverage of the World Cup, for an interactive scratchcard competition.

The Times and Sunday Times are due to distribute 5 million game cards to readers who will need to check the newspapers and Vauxhall’s sponsorship credits to see if they are winners.

The promotion – TV’s first interactive scratchcard competition linked to sports sponsorship – will run during the five weeks of World Cup 98 which starts in June.

Prizes on offer include Vauxhall cars, tickets to World Cup matches and cash up to the value of 50,000.

ITV’s head of marketing Sam Carter says: “The in-paper game ties in to the Vauxhall break bumpers being created by Lowe Howard-Spink, and Times Newspapers – who have exactly the readership we wish to bring to our football coverage – have pledged both on- and off-air promotional support for the game.”

She believes that the promotion is ideal for attracting ABC1 viewers to the channel.

Toby Constantine, marketing director of Times Newspapers says: “The promotion is the perfect extension to our Under the Skin Of Sport push, once again confirming The Times and Sunday Times as the leading broadsheets for sports.”

One industry observer welcomed the deal: “The nature of sporting competitions means a lot of repeat viewing. For sponsorship to work it should offer entertainment as well as a commercial message.”