Unlike TV commercials, sponsorship idents come with a tight rulebook. Not only are these TV slots separated from advertising, but they’re also limited to just a handful of seconds.
Sponsorship idents force brands to get smart about making every frame, every visual and every second count. When done right, these brief branding moments cut through the noise.
What is a TV sponsorship ident?
A TV sponsorship ident is short-form branded footage (lasting 5 to 15 seconds) that airs before, during and after a programme. These Idents usually consist of a series of short sequences or sponsorship bumpers tied to a programme or channel.
Over the years, we’ve done a lot of post-production work for sponsorship idents for shows like The Great British Bake Off (GBBO), I’m a Celeb and Good Morning Britain. Here’s a recent ident we used CGI for to create animated mobile devices:
How sponsorship idents grow brands
Gain constant exposure.
Sponsoring a programme means your ident will appear every time the show airs on TV. This may be during prime time or reruns the following day.
These idents guarantee maximum visibility to your target audience. For example, our work for Aldi’s GBBO sponsorship involved us creating 3D animated gingerbread characters that subtly promoted its baking range.
We created six sponsorship idents in total, which caught the attention of 11.5 million viewers each week. Like this project, sponsorship bumpers provide steady exposure that becomes synonymous with the content viewers love. This builds familiarity over time compared to the hard sell of a TV commercial.
Tells your brand narrative.
The end goal of a TV ident is to grow brand awareness, rather than sell a product or service (see Ofcom’s guidelines). Without these commercial pressures, sponsors share their brand message in other creative ways.
Usually, brand recognition is enforced through logos, jingles, taglines or familiar characters. As sponsorship idents air around a show, sponsors can form a storyline, which pulls viewers into the brand’s world.
This was the case for tombola, which required 50 unique idents to keep creatives fresh throughout I’m a Celeb. We handled post-production for Über, their agency, along with extensive 3d animation of 11 jungle bug characters.
As for tombola, these sponsorship idents delivered instant brand recognition and a narrative that viewers could engage with during prime time and online.
Saves on advertising costs.
These days, viewers fast-forward through commercials on catch-up or just pay to skip them. Even so, a TV sponsorship ident is often the only ad break a viewer actually sees.
Sponsorship bumpers appear when a show (re)starts, meaning viewer attention is at its highest. Plus, your budget is likely smaller compared to a full ad, making the viewership you get from idents a wise investment.
Looking for a post-production house?
We offer expert post-production services for TV sponsorship idents and commercials. Our services include video editing, colour grading, motion graphics, CGI animation and audio mixing.
If you need support on your next sponsorship, speak to our team and we’ll help you get started.
