New Three-Year Deal Takes one of UK’s Longest-Running Music Sponsorships into its 15th Year
London, UK, Thursday 11 February 2010 - MasterCard today pledged its continuing support for the British music industry by extending its partnership with the BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) with a new three-year sponsorship agreement for the UK’s premier music event, The BRIT Awards. MasterCard has sponsored The BRIT Awards since 1999 and the new deal will take the relationship into its 15th year, with the 2013 event.
Ben Rhodes, VP Marketing, MasterCard UK & Ireland, commented:
“The BRIT Awards is a significant component of our global entertainment strategy, allowing MasterCard to meaningfully engage with the British public in a way that matters to them, not only through traditional media channels, such as print and broadcast, but also through developing unique content for digital activities and social media, such as the Priceless Dance-Off promotion we ran in 2008 and this year’s mypricelessgig promotion to celebrate 30 years of The BRIT Awards. Our continued association with The BRIT Awards will be a key contributor in our strategy of rewarding cardholders for choosing and using our products.”
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of the BPI, said:
“The successful BRITs partnership with MasterCard is one of the longest and most immediately recognisable relationships in music. We know that MasterCard appreciates the uniqueness and excitement of the BRITs and its ability to generate priceless moments. BPI is delighted that the sponsorship is set to continue into its 15th year.”
MasterCard’s involvement in the 2010 BRIT Awards, which are being held at Earls Court on 16 February and televised live on ITV1, has been leveraged via a multimedia marketing programme.
Most notably this year, to thank music fans across the country for their passion and support and to celebrate 30 years of The BRIT Awards, MasterCard devised the ultimate Priceless experience - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a member of the British public to win a BRIT Award winner playing live in their very own living room. The online competition ran from December 2009 to the end of January 2010, when lucky winner Lorraine Sands from Twickenham won a Priceless Gig with legendary British pop duo Pet Shop Boys in her front room. Footage from the Priceless Gig will be turned into a series of idents, which will be broadcast on ITV1 during The BRIT Awards. Exclusive footage from the Priceless Gig will be streamed online at www.pricelessgig.co.uk after the show.
MasterCard has also continued to work with its financial services and retail partners to bring The BRIT Awards to consumers in 2010. Every single major financial institution that issues MasterCard has used its pass through rights to drive commerce through usage and acquisition sweepstakes and prize draws, with approximately seven million cardholder mailings this year alone. In addition, MasterCard has run promotions with Tesco (for the second year) and Oasis to enable MasterCard cardholders shopping at these retailers to win tickets to next Tuesday’s event. All together, that means that two thirds of MasterCard's tickets will be used to give consumers a priceless opportunity to attend The BRIT Awards 2010 in person.
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MasterCard Notes To Editors
For further information, please contact:
MasterCard UK Press Office Tel: +44 (0)844 875 1522, mastercardpressoffice@webershandwick.com
Doyel Maitra, Corporate Communications, MasterCard Europe
Tel: +44 (0)207 557 5033,
doyel_maitra@mastercard.com
Adam Liversage, BPI
Tel: 0207 803 1326,
adam.liversage@bpi.co.uk
About MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 22 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to
www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.
About BPI
The BPI is the representative voice of the UK recorded music business. We are a trade organisation funded by our members - which include the UK's four major record labels and hundreds of independent music companies. BPI members account for approximately 90% of all recorded music sold in the UK, and globally the UK's recorded music market is the third biggest. The BPI also organises the annual BRIT Awards show as well as the Classical BRIT Awards show. The organising company BRIT Awards limited, is a fully owned subsidiary of the BPI. Substantial proceeds from both shows go to the BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the BPI that has donated almost £15m to charitable causes nationwide, since its foundation in 1989.