Orange signs 50m deal to retain cinema’s ‘Gold Spot’

Orange has signed a £50m deal with Carlton Screen Advertising to retain its exclusive rights to the most coveted advertising slot in cinema – the prestigious Gold Spot that airs immediately before a feature film.

The deal means Orange, which has held rights to the Gold Spot slot since 2003, will now hold it for another three years. The telecoms company has charged Mother with creating four films to run from March 2007, when the current deal ends.

Mother was responsible for the current campaign, “The Orange Film Board”, which has starred A-list Hollywood celebrities such as Roy Scheider, Carrie Fisher, Spike Lee and, more recently, Steven Seagal. The agency won the contract to continue creating the 60-second ads after both it and Fallon – the company’s UK agency – presented script ideas to Orange.

The deal was brokered by Initiative, which handles all media buying for Orange.

The telecoms company has a history of involvement in film: Bafta sponsorship, Orange Wednesdays – which allow its customers discounts at Odeon cinemas every Wednesday – and the Gold Spot. According to Orange director of brand marketing, Pippa Dunn, it aims to be the number one brand associated with film in the UK.