Recently we’ve been watching the Ray Winstone drama, Vincent, on the ITV network.
This (sometimes violent) drama has been sponsored by Lindemans, the Australian wine brand. I thought this was a little bit curious..why associate a wine brand with a violent, private detective drama? Anyway, after a bit of searching I stumbled upon this which explains a little more.
The sponsorship deal, worth £3m, is for the prime-time drama slot in the programming schedules (Monday 9pm-10.30pm for Vincent) and is therefore not necessarily program specific. Doc Martin is next I gather (I’ve never viewed it). Why pay for the sponsorship? Amy Thomson, Lindemans senior brand manager says…
Our continued relationship in 2005, supporting drama such as ‘Vincent’ and ‘Doc Martin’ is a reflection of the success of the relationship and Lindemans increasing popularity. Relaxing at home in front of the TV with a glass of wine is an ideal fit for Lindemans’ primary message of ‘simple pleasures’ and a natural territory for the brand to own.
For me though, watching some heavies beating the living daylights out of each other doesn’t make me want to partake in the ‘simple pleasure’ of drinking a glass of wine. Looks like I’ll have to watch “Doc Martin”!
