Including Brand New Awards Category 'New Sounds of Europe'
Extended Promotional Window & Customised Solutions Signal New Integrated Multiplatform Pan-European Brand Marketing Opportunities
London, 18 June 2007: MTV Networks International (MTVNI) and global telecommunications company Sony Ericsson today announced a multiplatform, multi-territory marketing alliance surrounding Europe’s premier music sponsorship property, the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs). The partnership will be executed in 18 markets across Europe and for the first time will include a newly created Award category, ‘New Sounds of Europe’ and an extended promotional window for targeted consumer activity across TV, PC, mobile screens and wap sites. The partnership presents new opportunities for Sony Ericsson to bring their brand to life and execute consumer touch-points in an integrated fashion across MTV’s extensive network of digital platforms.
“This year’s MTV Europe Music Awards campaign activation represents a wholly customised solution that builds on Sony Ericsson’s music strategy to position the brand at the forefront of new music, across platforms”, commented Melisa Quiñoy, Executive Vice President Europe, Viacom Brand Solutions International. “We are vested in the success of our partnerships and committed to creating new concepts that help clients make breakthrough connections with our youth audiences like never before.”
Stefan Streit, Vice President, Head of Marketing Western Europe for Sony Ericsson commented: “The MTV Europe Awards is one of the biggest music events of the year and as our Walkman Phone range develops so does our passion for music. This partnership not only establishes our dedication to the industry and supports emerging talent but also effectively reaches our music-loving consumer on a Europe-wide level.”
The ‘New Sounds of Europe’ Award gives new artists an unprecedented opportunity to secure high level exposure on a global scale, enabling them to tap into a promotional machine that is customarily reserved for established music artists.
The ‘New Sounds of Europe’ is a search for the hottest new and up-and-coming music talent Europe wide. Each MTV channel will select the top breakthrough local acts from their market to be part of a short-list. Viewers will also have a chance to nominate their favourite emerging band. Commencing in August with a Europe wide online vote for short-listed talent spanning 18 territories, the bands will be whittled down to one winner per region. The 18 regional winners will then go head to head in a pan-European battle of the bands competition at the end of which, the three bands with the highest number of online and mobile votes will be flown to Munich. On show day (1st November), online and live sms voting for the finalists will commence, closing during the show, when the band with the highest number of votes will win the chance to perform on stage at the EMAs – an unprecedented opportunity to perform live in front of thousands and be part of a television show reaching a potential worldwide audience of 1.5 billion people in 179 countries.
Sony Ericsson’s sponsorship of the EMAs 2007 reflects the undisputable synergy between music and technology in the lifestyles of European youth. The partnership will deliver on original multiplatform activation concepts designed to mobilise the Sony Ericsson brand in the youth space, engage audiences more fully than ever before and realise the unique music proposition of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman® phones.
The EMAs pan-European marketing campaign offers Sony Ericsson leverage across TV, online and mobile as well as bespoke on the ground activity in local priority markets in the lead-up to the Awards. The EMAs itself will feature parallel live mobile and internet programming, reflecting the multitude of ways youth consume their entertainment and ensuring the widest possible reach for engaging existing and potential consumers.
Key television elements of the package include on-air billboards across all of MTV’s channels in Europe attached to all Awards programming, locally adapted on-air nominee and voting spots as well as a consumer competition spot.
On the web, opportunities include logo integration and banner presence across MTV’s network of 18 EMA microsites, along with their complementary local MTV web site or broadband service. Both the MTV Europe Music Awards and specially-created SonyEricsson.com/MTVEMA websites will feature voting for the ‘New Sounds of Europe’ in a bespoke section of the website.
A dedicated EMA WAP site will feature a ‘New Sounds of Europe’ section including voting application, exclusive competitions, a range of free mobile content and an exclusive EMA mobile game. Music fans receive the latest news from the EMAs throughout the run up to the show and news of the winners post-show by accessing wap.mtvema.com. The WAP offering will be available in 18 regional variations and 13 languages, providing music fans with the opportunity to experience the biggest music award show in Europe whilst on the move.
Sony Ericsson will be included in all EMA pan-European marketing and PR campaigns and will be fully integrated in all associated surround events in the lead up to the show and at the post show party. All sponsors will also have the opportunity to use the EMAs 2007 logo in their own promotional activity.
In March, MTVNI revealed it will be take this year’s 14th annual EMAs to Munich. The event will take place on the 1st November at Munich’s premiere entertainment arena, OlympiaHalle, home to major international music and sporting events.
In 2006, the EMAs broadcast to a potential worldwide audience of more than 1.4 billion people in 179 countries including a live broadcast across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In addition to its 56 TV channels globally, MTV has 47 websites, 19 broadband services and 17 mobile TV channels and mobile video-on-demand services – including distribution to the majority of the world’s video-enabled mobile handsets.
About MTV Networks International
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Comedy Central, Paramount Comedy, Game One and IFILM. MTV Networks' brands are seen in 508 million households in 161 countries and 32 languages via 135 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 200 digital media properties. The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
About Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications serves the global communications market with innovative and feature-rich mobile phones, accessories and PC-cards. Established as a joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in 2001, with global corporate functions located in London, the company employs over 7,500 people worldwide, including R&D sites in Europe, Japan, China and America. Sony Ericsson celebrated the 5th anniversary of the start of the joint venture on 1st October, 2006. Sony, Walkman and the Walkman logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. For more information on Sony Ericsson, please visit www.sonyericsson.com
Note to Editors
A specially-created image illustrating the new Sony Ericsson Walkman® Phone W580i handset is attached featuring the EMA logo. This slim slider phone speaks volumes in urban cool while delivering the full Walkman® phone music experience.
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