Since its relaunch in 2002 as a touring awards show, the Juno Awards have become a hotter property for Canadian advertisers, thanks to the hype-building week-long series of events that now surround it, say the show’s organizers, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Heading into its 2010 broadcast, CARAS says sponsorship has never been higher, with 45 brands locked in to date.
The 2010 Juno Awards take place April 12 to 18 in St. John’s, NL, with Pepsi on board as a headlining brand for the second year. The title sponsorship encompasses the Fan Choice Award, which offers fans a VIP experience including the chance to be on stage for the presentation during the awards broadcast on CTV on Sunday, April 18.
Pepsi will drive awareness of the voting and the contest through in-store promotions, such as POS and display cards, and also through social media properties, such as its Facebook fan page. The brand has booked a media buy to promote its sponsorship, handled by its MAOR OMD Canada with creative by Capital C, including Juno-specific online banners and brand-specific TV spots the night of the awards.
‘The Junos, being the pinnacle, is a natural fit for what the brand is about. It was a way we could really integrate our brand into the music scene and the broadcast overall with the Fan Choice Award,’ Cheryl Radisa, VP, consumer marketing, Pepsi-Cola Brands, PepsiCo Beverages Canada, told MiC.
Garnier is also involved for the second year as ‘official stylist’ of the awards – details of how that will be integrated into the broadcast are still being worked out – and will promote the Junos on-pack in stores. Sirius Satellite Radio Canada has expanded its sponsorship of Juno Fan Fare to include JunoFest, a multi-venue concert event. Limited sponsorship opportunities for the show and events series are still open, said organizers.
The growth in sponsorship opportunities – and brands’ interest in them – started when the show went on the road in 2002, Jane Tattersall, senior manager of strategic marketing and sponsorship, CARAS, told MiC. ‘Each city becomes completely involved, and as a result, the Juno brand has grown to encompass a series of events, so there are far more opportunities for exposure,’ she said. ‘A lot of the events are designed to bring the fans and the artists together, and they create these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.’
Attendance for the pre-show events series peaked last year with 10,000 JunoFest attendees and 1.227 million viewers.
