Nokia signs up to sponsor second series of The X Factor

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 16-Jun-05, 11:00

LONDON – Mobile manufacturer Nokia has renewed its sponsorship of the Simon Cowell-created ITV reality series 'The X Factor' for a second year.

The deal, negotiated by SponsorCom the sponsorship arm of MediaCom, includes on-air exposure in bumpers immediately before and after the show and during ad breaks on ITV1 and ITV2, as well as an interactive offering.

In addition, Nokia will receive a package of off-air rights, licensed by international format producer FremantleMedia, which will see the mobile giant support the deal with a wide-ranging through-the-line campaign, including nationwide retail marketing activity.

Pulling in an average audience of 6.3m last year 'The X Factor' helped to boost Nokia's Christmas sales, according to Simon Lloyd, head of marketing at Nokia.

"'The X Factor' was a huge success for us, providing sustained primetime exposure in the critical pre-Christmas sales period," he said.

'The X Factor' will air on ITV1 on Saturday nights in September through to mid-December. Original judges Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh have confirmed they will return for the second series, as will presenter Kate Thornton.

Last year, Steve Brookstein emerged as the eventual winner and reached number one in the charts with his Phil Collins cover 'Against All Odds' while runners-up G4, also received a recording contract.

Auditions are currently taking place across the UK.

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