BlackBerry to sponsor Five’s topline show FlashForward

Deal to back US drama series is BlackBerry’s first for European television.

Research in Motion’s BlackBerry brand has signed its first European TV sponsorship deal in a tie-up with Five’s soon-to-be launched US drama series, FlashForward.

The series, which airs from next month, leads the broadcaster’s autumn line-up and stars British actors Joseph Fiennes and Jack Davenport.

The sponsorship package will include a 15-second opening credit, break bumpers and a ten-second closing credit.

The TV deal follows BlackBerry’s recent sponsorship of U2’s “No Line on the Horizon” global tour.

FlashForward deals with the consequences of a mysterious event which causes the entire world to suffer a brief blackout, during which everyone sees a vision of their own future in six months’ time.

The launch of the series in the UK will be supported by a heavyweight outdoor, cinema and online campaign.

The campaign has been led by Five’s in-house creative services department, working in conjunction with Disney UK and ABC Studios in the US, which produces the show.

Creative UK agency Colour was also involved in the creation of the campaign.

The ads will launch on 21 September and include the show’s promotional strapline “What Did You See”, which is being used globally.

The RTL-owned broadcaster last week unveiled its autumn line-up of programmes, which also includes a new nightly hour-long magazine show, Live From Studio Five.

Meanwhile, Justin Lee Collins has signed an exclusive two-year deal with the broadcaster and will host a new game show called Heads or Tails where members of the public have the chance to become a millionaire.

Recommended

Jo Roberts

One-to-one conversation is key to a consumer’s heart

Marketing Week

Brand love seems to be on the wane. A study carried out by Targetbase Claydon Heeley unveiled that while the top 10 leading brands score highly on value, none scored higher than 30% for love. The brands in the study include British institutions such as Marks & Spencer and the Post Office. Apparently these brands just aren’t engaging with their customers.