smart tunes into Dave with exclusive sponsorship deal

smart is set to become a star of the screen with the iconic brand being the sole broadcast sponsor of weekend peak programming on UKTV’s acclaimed channel, Dave.

smart is the channel’s first ever car sponsor and will support Dave between 9pm and 2am every Saturday and Sunday from 1st May to the end of December.

During the eight-month campaign smart will sponsor some of the top programmes on Dave and also Dave Ja Vu, including QI, Have I Got News For You, Mock the Week, Argumental and James May’s Big Ideas. The arrangement also extends online, with smart sponsoring a special quiz section at joindave.co.uk and a series of monthly e-newsletters to registered Dave viewers.

Before, during and after the sponsored programmes, viewers will enjoy intriguing 10-second ‘teaser’ films that end with a ‘What the…’ line on the screen. At a specially created website – thinksmart.co.uk, viewers are invited to see the outcome to the films by watching the full two-minute versions that illustrate the many attributes of smart in an entertaining and typical smart tongue-in-cheek manner. Visitors to the website will also be able to request more information on smart and even a test drive.

The first three films to be aired will reference the smart’s fuel efficiency and space. All the films have been specifically produced for UK viewers but they are part of an international brand campaign between smart in Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. The 10-second films will also run as pre-rolls and in other online advertising formats, driving viewers to the microsite to see the full-length versions of the stories.

Richard Payne, Marketing Communications Manager, said: ”smart and Dave are perfect brand partners as both are fun, vibrant and provide a great deal of enjoyment, but also impress people with their intelligent thinking and ambition to break new ground.

“This innovative campaign is perfectly in keeping with the smart brand values.  It will highlight the car’s benefits in a clever way and invite them to continue the online interaction that we know so many enjoy.”