MEDIA PLANNING GET CARLTON ACTIVE’S iDEA

THE MEDIA Planning Group (MPG) have become the first agency to announce commitment to Carlton Active iDEA (iTV Development & Education Alliance).
This commercial partnership sees MPG’s interactive division, Media Contacts, commit to commissioning interactive television ad campaigns from Carlton Active over the next twelve months. In return, the media agency will benefit from the extensive iTV skills and experience that Carlton Active has accrued since their launch in 1999, to help strengthen understanding of interactive television and develop iTV advertising strategies for their clients. Carlton Active’s first creative brief from Media Contacts will be for Orange.
iDEA is targeted at all levels within an agency, from the CEO to the planners, to help further their expertise in the creative, technical and commercial issues associated with iTV advertising. Tailor-made workshops will facilitate knowledge-sharing, enabling Carlton Active to meet the needs and concerns of the agency, and Media Contacts to understand the issues around iTV production. Open Days will also be held for Media Contacts and their clients, giving access to case studies and iTV demonstrations. Carlton Active’s experience in creating and broadcasting interactive television ads and programmes for ITV, the UK’s largest commercial channel, means they are uniquely positioned to offer this initiative.
Commenting on the partnership with Carlton Active, Simon Sadie, MD of Media Contacts, said: “This relationship with Carlton Active will equip Media Contacts for the digital future. Analogue switch-off is getting closer and closer and within the next five years interactive television ads will be the norm. Therefore Media Contacts recognises the need to start learning now, to remain a major player so that we can continue to deliver first-class, cutting-edge campaigns for our clients.”
Carlton Active offer a market-leading, full-service iTV sales and production facility. They create and implement interactive programmes and advertising across all three digital TV platforms - digital terrestrial, digital satellite and digital cable.
Media Planning Group are the global media network of Havas Advertising Group (the world’s fourth largest media services group). The group provide media planning, buying, strategic consulting and interactive services for a range of blue-chip clients. (GB)