[James]

From Times Online
December 8, 2008

Dreams to sponsor Celebrity Big Brother

Patrick Foster

Dreams, the Buckinghamshire-based bed retailer, was today unveiled as the new sponsor of Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother.

The company has agreed a deal thought to be worth around £800,000 to sponsor the broadcaster's flagship programme, after Virgin Media pulled out of a partnership with the show in November, citing a 'shift in emphasis' in its marketing strategy.

Carphone Warehouse, Celebrity Big Brother’s previous sponsor, terminated its association with the show in the middle of its 2007 run, after allegations of racism towards Shilpa Shetty, the Indian actress, which generated a record 45,000 complaints to Ofcom, the broadcasting watchdog.

Channel 4 tried to rehabilitate Big Brother by 'resting' the celebrity format in 2008. It will return to the nation’s screens on January 2 next year.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle5309302.ece

[Scarlett.]

Are they the first non-mobile company to sponsor BB?

[Callum]

ooh! I'm looking forward to the adverts.

[Matt]

Originally posted by Callum
ooh! I'm looking forward to the adverts.

I'm not. Their ITV sponsorship ads are crap

[James]

Originally posted by Chewy
Are they the first non-mobile company to sponsor BB?

I think Southern Comfort sponsored Big Brother 1?

[Scarlett.]

Originally posted by James

I think Southern Comfort sponsored Big Brother 1?

Ah!

But its been mobile since then (or does Virgin Media count as non mobile)

[Mark]

Am I the only one who read this title as:

Bad retailer 'Dreams' to sponsor Celebrity Big Brother

[James]

CBB2 was sponsored by BT broadband. I remember the ads.

[Brekkie]

At least it's not Iceland and bloody Kerry Katona.

Not seen any of their sponsorship of ITV programmes, but their ads are alright - not as annoying as the sofa ones anyway!

[Scarlett.]

Originally posted by James
CBB2 was sponsored by BT broadband. I remember the ads.

Oh...I thought it was O2
Actually Talk Talk dont do mobiles do they? So thats another :P

[Spike]

This is a weird partnership, the two brands just don't go

[monkeymadness]

bb3 was 02

[Scarlett.]

Originally posted by monkeymadness
bb3 was 02

Oh...lol
Weird...I didnt watch BB3, but I remember seeing the O2 sponsorship adverts a lot

[Brekkie]

For the record:

BB1: Southern Comfort

CBB1: Dubble (fair trade chocolate)

BB2: BT Cellnet
BB3/BB4: O2
CBB2: BT Broadband

BB5/CBB3/BB6: Talk Talk
CBB4/BB7/CBB5: Carphone Warehouse

BB8/BBCH/BB9: Virgin Media

[Xander]

Wow they have stooped low for a sponsor like that.

[Scarlett.]

I dunno how they make bed's appeal to BB fans

[CbgAndy]

Originally posted by Mark
Am I the only one who read this title as:

Bad retailer 'Dreams' to sponsor Celebrity Big Brother

nope , so did I

the fact the my brother is an ex employee of dreams and has some really bad horror stories , may have been to blame though

[Tom]

Originally posted by Chewy
I dunno how they make bed's appeal to BB fans

"Sleep like a celebrity"?

They'll probably furnish the bedroom and sell them that way

"Have a bed in your room the same as the BB house"

Its a bit daft ...

[Lauren]

Probably be word play on "dreams" and dreams of being famous/a celeb.

[\PJ/]

They sponsor so many shows:
60 Minute Makeover
Dicksons Real Deal
Noels Christmas Presents
and there adverts are boaring,and very wrong for CBB.

[Matt]

Originally posted by Xander
Wow they have stooped low for a sponsor like that.

Channel 4 were said to be looking for a new sponsor as quickly as possible after Virgin Media pulled out. I don't think it's a case of them stooping low.

The Times' article states that the sponsorship is worth £800,000, which suggests that it's for CBB only. I do think they'll get first refusal on BB10.

[arista]

Originally posted by Mark
Am I the only one who read this title as:

Bad retailer 'Dreams' to sponsor Celebrity Big Brother

This may keep Dreams from going under
for the time being.

[Jackie]

I hate that advert as well.

[DigitalSid]

Originally posted by Xander
Wow they have stooped low for a sponsor like that.

How? Dreams are the biggest bed retailer in the UK and advertise on ITV all the time.

They were looking for 'boring' brands, so it could have been a lot worse, we were predicting Aldi or Netto on Digital Spy lol.

I don't think Dreams will get much out of it, but still.

[Matt]

Bed firm Dreams sponsors Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother

Channel 4 has signed bed retailer Dreams to sponsor Celebrity Big Brother, which returns to the broadcaster's main network early next month after being rested in 2008 following the Shilpa Shetty racism row.

Dreams will sponsor the main show on Channel 4, streaming on E4, spin-off shows such as Big Brother's Big Mouth and Big Brother's Little Brother and web and video-on-demand coverage.

The company will also be able to use the signature Big Brother "eye" motif in its 200-plus stores nationwide as well as in advertising.

Channel 4 head of sponsorship David Charlesworth described the tie-up as ideal because "the scramble for the best beds is a recurrent theme" of the show.

Celebrity Big Brother 2009 launches on Channel 4 on Friday, January 2.

"It makes perfect sense for us to partner with the most famous house in Britain," said the Dreams chief operating officer, Greg Suthern.

Dreams has stepped in to fill the void left by Carphone Warehouse, which pulled its £2.5m-a-year deal to sponsor the Big Brother franchise following the Jade Goody/Shilpa Shetty racism row that engulfed last year's celebrity series.

Only the opening night of this year's Celebrity Big Brother was broadcast on Channel 4 in January, with the remainder of the series transmitting on digital service E4.

Virgin Media stepped in to sponsor the last two series of Big Brother. But Channel 4 has since said it is still looking for a sponsor for next summer's Big Brother after Virgin Media decided not to extend its relationship with the reality TV show.

MediaGuardian.co.uk