New sponsorship package on offer for Coronation St

ITV is looking for interactive and mobile sponsors for its flagship soap Coronation Street, after broadcast-sponsor Cadbury’s turned down a deal to broaden its relationship with the show.

Two “beyond the spot” packages are on offer, and each sponsor would be able to have branding and integrated bumpers within exclusive footage through either the programme’s mobile portal, or via the soap’s “interactive” red button on digital television.

The red button package would provide extra content such as competitions, exclusive scenes, and news and gossip. Viewers would be able to keep track of the main programme through a window occupying a quarter of the screen, with a Web page-like interface showing the content and the sponsor’s branding.

ITV’s mobile package offers use of text short-codes, a presence on its WAP portal and branded SMS updates and previews. ITV Sales has been looking to boost the broadcaster’s non-traditional spot advertising credentials in an attempt to offer brands “360 degree” solutions

In January Cadbury’s renewed its ten year sponsorship of the soap in a &£20m two-year deal.