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Freesat has today unveiled its largest advertising campaign to date, launching 4th November 2008, which will highlight the satellite TV service’s subscription free high-definition (HD) offer and run across national newspapers, supplements, TV listings publications, commuter press and a wide range of digital media.

The campaign centres around viewers emotional responses to watching their favourite programmes in HD on Freesat, including BBC HD’s Strictly Come Dancing, Little Dorrit, In the Night Garden, ITV HD’s UEFA Champions League football and new teen drama Britannia High.

Key messages communicated in the campaign include;

- Freesat’s attractive no subscription, no monthly bills proposition
- Freesat’s range of channels, which currently number 140, including free HD from the BBC and ITV
- Freesat’s UK wide signal coverage, which stands at 98%
- The ease of equipment purchase and set-up

Freesat, which recently announced that product sales had reached over 100,000 in only five months, has worked with creative agency farm to create and implement the campaign, with media agency MPG handling media planning and buying.

Will Abbott, Freesat marketing and communications director commented;

Freesat offers 140 channels and UK-wide coverage for everyone, for free – no subscription and no monthly bills. That’s a brilliant offer and great value. Add to that some of the best of BBC and ITV in HD for free and it just gets better. But we’re interested in people not pixels. It’s the heightened viewing experience HD offers that we’re focusing on in our campaign – the feeling that you’re really there, immersed in the action.

Press release from Freesat on the launch of their joint marketing initiative with US channel BET:

Freesat, and US channel BET (Black entertainment television) have launched a targeted retail marketing campaign in the lead up to the key pre-Christmas sales period.

In-store posters/displays and a specially made ’sizzle’ DVD have been created which highlight the upcoming BET Hip Hop Awards which premieres in the UK on Friday October 24th at 8pm, and are exclusive to BET. Last year’s winners and performers included Kanye West, Ludacris, Common and Nelly.

Freesat has worked with the Glen Yearwood group, who provide communications strategy to BET UK, to target areas around the country with high densities of a Black and mixed race population, a key target demographic for BET.

The campaign has been rolled out to 176 Freesat stores across Freesat’s retail partners Currys Digital, Argos, Comet, John Lewis, as well as independent retailers.

BET launched onto the Freesat platform in August and reaches 87m households in its native North American and Caribbean territory, broadcasting a wide range of entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming aimed at consumers of pop culture inspired by African - American music and lifestyle.

Commenting on the campaign, James Atkins, Freesat’s trade marketing manager said,

Working with BET means we have been able to draw on their specialist demographic knowledge to focus the campaign towards consumers that are likely to respond to BET content and the Freesat proposition.

Michael Armstrong, SVP at BET International added,

The retail partnership with Freesat underscores BET’s commitment to share and add value by unlocking data on our consumer demographic and approach marketing and communications from emotional brand recognition and content differentiator that is BET. Above all, we are excited at the long term and embedded commitment to our consumer group that is shared by Freesat, we expect to make a difference.