Siemens backs Ant & Dec show

Siemens mobile is to sponsor Ant and Dec’s new ITV1 prime-time entertainment show, Saturday Night Takeaway, in a deal worth about &£600,000.

The deal, which was put together by sponsorship agency Connexus and Granada Enterprises, includes broadcast sponsorship of the shows on ITV1 from June 8 plus additional coverage on ITV2. Siemens mobile will also sponsor online activity on the programme’s website, itv.com/takeaway, SMS text-ing and a competition phone line. McCann-Erickson, Siemens’ advertising agency, is creating the sponsorship credits and break bumpers.

The format of the show is a first for British television. The winner of the show will have the chance to win items advertised during commercial breaks shown over the previous week on ITV1. It is understood that ITV1 consulted the Independent Tele-vision Commission to ensure the show complied with the commiss-ion’s programme code, which states that “no undue prominence may be given in any programme to a commercial product or service”.

Siemens mobile public relations and advertising manager Simon Robinson says: “This is a great opportunity for Siemens mobile to further build brand awareness among our target market.”

The company will also use the sponsorship to support the launch of its M50 handset, which goes on sale in July.