Fosters has revived its sponsorship of Channel 4’s comedy line-up with the new strapline, “Now on 4 we welcome back an old mate, Fosters. Good Call”.
Foster’s began inflicting Aussie clichés on the UK’s Channel 4 comedy audiences in May 2010. The original deal was to last until December that year. Parent company, Heineken UK appointed Naked Communications to create the sponsorship.
Clearly, the relationship worked well for Foster’s and by 2012, adam&eve/DDB was making up stories about agony aunt duo and Aussie Foster’s lovers, Brad and Dan, for the brand that was still sponsoring Original Comedy on 4. The Brad and Dan ads generated £32 of beer sales for every £1 spent on the advert, according to last year’s IPA Effectiveness Awards.
The last major deal between Foster’s and Channel 4 ended one year ago. And has just been revived.
Foster’s has recommenced its sponsorship of the Original Comedy on 4 programming and the renewed partnership kicked off this week with the welcome back spot that includes the Channel 4 and Foster’s logos and the tagline, “Now on 4 we welcome back an old mate, Fosters. Good Call.”
The one year, multi-million pound deal will include both ad breaks created by adam&eve/DDB and branded short-form entertainment shows for the broadcaster’s digital Shorts platform. The beer’s idents will appear around comedy shows across Channel 4, E4, All 4 and 4oD, the video-on demand platform until it is replaced by Shorts.
Shorts will be available later in the year through Channel 4’s new digital service All 4, which launches at the end of the first quarter. Foster’s is sponsoring the new comedies, Raised by Wolves and Chewing Gum, as swell as existing faves like Allan Carr: Chatty Man, 8 out of 10 cats and the last season of Peep Show.
Ifeoma Dozie, brand unit director at Foster’s, noted, “The Channel 4 sponsorship provides a fantastic platform for Foster’s to reach its core target audience. What is even more exciting is the plan we are developing with the team at C4 to use the partnership in a completely new and innovative way.”
Rob Ramsey, the partnership leader at Channel 4, said: “This deal will show just how creatively integrated real partnerships should and can be, from media platform to creative execution every touch point will be complementary creating a truly impactful campaign.”
