Iceland to sponsor I'm A Celebrity show

by Ian Quinn, Media Week 24-Oct-06

Supermarket group Iceland has signed a multi-million pound deal to replace holiday firm First Choice as sponsor for the sixth series of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!, which is due to start next month.

Iceland is to use Kerry Katona, who won the battle to survive ITV's
jungle-set reality show in 2004, to front its marketing campaign around
the series, which attracted an average audience of 9.6 million viewers and

a 40% share last year, with viewing up 9% on the previous year.

The deal, which marks the end of First Choice's three-year sponsorship of
the show, includes broadcast sponsorship on ITV1 and ITV2, interactive,
mobile interactivity, mobile clips on ITV's WAP portal, online, off-screen
licensing, as well as on and off-air marketing.

"The sponsorship of I'm a Celebrity is a great opportunity for us as it
embodies the fun, down to earth spirit of Iceland", said Nick Canning,
marketing director. "Our customers are big fans of the show, so just like
them, we're looking forward to an entertaining few weeks on-screen and
in-store."

Paul Gibbon, broadcast director at MediaCom North, who negotiated the
deal, said: "The fit with Iceland shoppers is superb and of course Kerry
Katona, who has appeared in Iceland's ad campaigns, is a previous winner
of the show.

"In conjunction with ITV, we're also working on a number of innovative
promotional ideas that will encourage further interaction between Iceland
and the audience of one of ITV's flagship shows."

Ella Fletcher, sponsorship and branded content executive at ITV Sales,
said: "I'm A Celebrity continues to deliver massive coverage for
advertisers and in particular Iceland's target audience of TV-loving
families with children."

Stars rumoured to be lined up to appear in the forthcoming series include
pop singers Louise Redknapp and Rachel Stevens, and Hollyoaks star Gemma
Atkinson.