Sky starts major push for Terry Pratchett dramatisation
BSkyB is launching a multimillion pound campaign to support its flagship Sky One Easter holiday drama Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic.
The campaign, which breaks later this week, includes TV, press, online and outdoor executions as well as the rerelease of Pratchett’s book of the same name, part of the Discworld series.
The book is being re-issued with the Sky advertising creative on the cover and will be sold exclusively through the Borders book chain. It is thought to be the first time a multichannel programme has featured on a book jacket in this way. Borders will also run in-store marketing for the programme.
Sky is also partnering with online bookseller Amazon, as well as homepage takeovers on MSN, Yahoo! and AOL. Interactive ads will run across sites, such as TVGuide and Yahoo! linking to the sky.com/magic microsite.
Fans can bid for replica luggage, featured in the programme, in an eBay auction to raise money for Pratchett’s charity.
National press advertising will run in titles including The Sun, The Guardian, New Statesman and listings sections and TV spots will air across Sky Networks. Sky is also launching a Bluetooth zone at Victoria station, which will give mobile users the opportunity to download video clips, ring and text tones and screen savers.
The campaign has been created by The Red Brick Road, with media planning and press and radio buying by Mediacom, outdoor buying by IPM and online buying through Diffiniti.
Sky is heavily promoting the programme following the success of Pratchett’s The Hogfather, which, according to Sky, was the most viewed multi-channel commission aired in the UK.
