Sears Canada has signed on as the lead sponsor of CTV‘s new daytime talk show The Marilyn Denis Show.
While full details of the one-year sponsorship package were not disclosed, it is expected to include Sears-sponsored fashion segments and room makeovers featuring its products. The sponsorship will also include traditional brand-sell spots throughout each one-hour telecast as well as online elements.
“We were looking for an opportunity to partner with a property that reflected Sears’ values and positioning and where they wanted to be moving forward,” said Tracy Bellamy, managing partner, connection planning for Sears’ longtime media agency MEC. “I think The Marilyn Denis Show is a great fit in terms of a lifestyle property that focuses on fashion and home décor.”
Bellamy said the fact that The Marilyn Denis Show is a new program also gave Sears an opportunity to create a sponsorship package from the ground up. A show like Citytv’s long-running daytime program CityLine, for example, wouldn’t have afforded the same opportunities, she said.
“Aligning with a show in its launch phase helps us have more input into the format of the show,” she said. “We can definitely create more of a partnership bond with a new property.”
Sears has been active on the product integration front for several years, having been featured in episodes of the CTV sitcom Corner Gas and the HGTV design show Sarah’s House, as well as several French-language shows.
“Sears is changing and evolving its brand, and becoming more modern,” said Bellamy. “They’ve got some great brands in their store and they want to align with properties that help them reflect the direction they want to go in.”
The sponsorship package also includes a contest enabling one viewer to attend a taping of The Marilyn Denis Show and enjoy a Sears shopping spree in Toronto.
“Sears is the perfect partner for The Marilyn Denis Show,” said Mary Kreuk, CTVs vice-president of marketing, in a release. “We are very excited to leverage Sears’ expertise across the many categories that are relevant to both our viewers and the highly anticipated show.”
