Purplebricks lands major Corrie product placement coup
Hybrid agency is to 'sell' Coronation Street's Rovers Return pub, the first time a firm has placed product in a story line.
Purplebricks has pulled off a major PR coup after paying for the agency to ‘sell’ the Rovers Return pub as the Coronation Street boozer is placed on the market.
The stunt is also the first time that ITV has allowed an official product placement within the soap opera directly linked to a story line.
Iain MacLeod, Coronation Street Series Producer, says: “The upcoming story around the sale of the Rovers Return stems from something exciting that happens between Jenny and Johnny – but it also led to an exciting opportunity to team up with Purplebricks to sell the nation’s most iconic pub.
“The presence of a real Purplebricks sign outside adds a little bit of extra realism to a really relatable story between two of our best-loved characters.”
Ben Carter (pictured), Purplebricks’ market chief, says, “We are delighted to work with Coronation Street to ‘sell’ a true British television icon like the Rovers Return.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Purplebricks brand to be seen by millions of TV viewers and we look forward to getting it ‘sold’ like we do for thousands of homes across the country every year.”
First broadcast in 1960, Coronation Street is the longest-running soap in the world and the most watched soap in Britain. It’s previous product placement deals, which were unrelated to specific story lines, have included Costa Coffee and Co-op storefronts featured within the sets.
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