Granada strikes video product placement deal

Granada Media has struck a product placement deal in which a bottle of Strathmore mineral water will appear in a fitness video starring Emmerdale actress Glenda McKay.

McKay, who plays glamorous part-time fitness teacher Rachel Hughes in the Yorkshire TV soap, will be seen with a bottle of the water as she explains the importance of warming up in “Glenda McKay’s Fit, Fresh & Funky”. An advertisement for Strathmore Water will also feature at the end of the video.

The deal was brokered by Granada Media Commercial Enterprises, the division of ITV sales house Granada MediaSales which was set up two years ago to sell sponsorship and non-traditional forms of media. It is led by director Gary Knight.

Strathmore will use the video, due for release on May 7, as a platform for other promotions in the health and fitness press. The videos will be offered to readers to encourage them to fill in coupons and provide the company with data.

Bev McGlade, commercial manager at Granada Media Commercial Enterprises, says: “This is a good example of how a client can derive value from a range of commercial opportunities attached to a video including product placement, PR, advertising and data collection.”

Finn O’Driscoll, Strathmore’s marketing director, says: “Strathmore Water is a healthy product and Glenda McKay’s video will highlight this in a natural environment.”

Strathmore Water agreed a product placement deal in November 1998 in which its brand was featured in a video spin-off, called Emmerdale Revenge.

Similar product placement deals with other brands, such as Avis car rental and Sony camcorders, were also negotiated for the Coronation Street video Viva Las Vegas last year.

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