ITV eyes merchandising revenue from teen show Britannia High

by Alison Donnelly, Marketing 14-Oct-08, 08:30

LONDON - ITV is plotting a brand licensing initiative around its flagship teen musical drama Britannia High as it seeks to mitigate a drop in its advertising revenues.

The broadcaster plans to roll out a range of merchandise associated with the primetime ITV1 programme, including clothing, DVDs, books and household items, and is likely to run live tours of the show.

ITV is hoping to emulate Disney's success in merchandising its High School Musical series of films. Following the release of High School Musical 2, Disney's consumer products unit posted a 29% rise in sales, fuelled by merchandise linked to the films.

The marketing campaign for Britannia High will be the broadcaster's biggest of the year. Its merchandising deals will be overseen by its global entertainment team, which it has been strengthening, despite major staff cuts in other parts of the organisation.