Shaw Media specialty channel Slice is partnering with Tetley Tea on a new “show within a show” integration built around this weekend’s commercial-free broadcast premiere of Pitch Perfect.
Tetley has purchased all advertising inventory (excluding Shaw Media promos) for Saturday’s broadcast premiere of the popular 2012 musical comedy, which grossed US$115 million worldwide on a budget of just $17 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com – leading to a 2015 sequel that made nearly US$300 million globally.
The two-and-a-half-hour programming block will also feature season two of the digital series MsLabelled, which will be woven into three 10-minute episodes appearing in place of commercial breaks.
Tetley’s Signature Tea product has been integrated into MsLabelled via a storyline about a design challenge to create drawstring fashion. One of the hallmarks of the Signature Tea line is a drawstring that enables users to squeeze the maximum amount of flavour from the teabag.
Series creator Shaftesbury and its brand agency Shift2, along with MediaCom Canada’s branded content division, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, were responsible for the brand integration.
“Shaw Media worked with these partners to expand the partnership beyond the in-show integration, and to bridge the series from digital to linear – as we intended to do since the inception of this project,” said Barb McKergow, head of marketing ventures at Shaw Media in Toronto.
The campaign is being supported by a branded video called “Keep Calm & Sip On” that is set in the MsLabelled world and features series star Sara Hennessey. Tetley and Slice have also created a co-branded online promo to drive viewers to Saturday’s programming block, while Tetley/MsLabelled co-branded bugs will air during the movie reminding viewers to stay tuned for the special broadcast during commercial breaks.
Slice is also presenting a 30-minute broadcast episode of MsLabelled assembled from new content and the two seasons of the show. The episode will air on the specialty channel on Dec. 12.
McKergow said deals of this nature are increasingly prevalent and are rarely the same. “We’re constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to feature brands on our platforms, so we’re going to places we’ve never gone before, which is what our clients want,” she said.
The first two seasons of MsLabelled have attracted more than 1 million online views to date according to YouTube and Adobe Omniture Site Catalyst data provided by Shaw Media.
