The document provides guidelines for television programme sponsorships from Ofcom. Key points include: the sponsorship must be clearly identified by name or logo; credits need to be broadcast at the beginning or end; there must be a clear relationship between the sponsorship and programme; sponsorship credits cannot contain advertising messages or calls to action; and multiple sponsors are allowed if separately compliant with the rules. Sponsorship credits must focus on the sponsorship arrangement rather than promoting the sponsor, and cannot include promotional references or claims about the sponsor.

1. Television Programme
Sponsorships

2. Ofcom Guidelines
• The sponsorship has to be clearly identified by using reference to
the name or the logo of the sponsor.
• Credits need to be broadcasted either at the beginning and/or the
end of the programme.
• Must be a clear relationship between the sponsorship and the
programme.
• The sponsorship must be clearly separated from other advertising.
• Sponsor credits must not contain advertising messages or calls to
action.
• No third party advertisement through the credits.
• Sponsor references in programme trails must be brief and
secondary.
• Multiple sponsors are acceptable on a programme and must be
clearly separate and each compliant with the rules.

3. Sponsorship… not advertisement!
• The primary focus of the sponsorship is predominantly
on the arrangement rather than the sponsor or its
products or services.
• The credits must be distinct from the sponsor’s
advertising – slogans and straplines can be
used, however, extra care must be taken, especially
when there is use of footage from the sponsors
advertising campaign. This ensures the primary focus is
on sponsorship arrangement.
• No messages should be used that are likely to distract
the sponsorship arrangement that would encourage
purchase.

4. • There is no requirement to have a link between the
programme content and the sponsor, its product or
service.
• Prominently, the sponsorship arrangement must be
clearly identified using a message such as “in
association with…”, “sponsored by…”- this can be done
either visually or through sound. However, it is
recommended to use both as it gives further
prominence of the sponsorship arrangement.
• Basic ‘contact’ details is allowed (how to access the
sponsorship, but specific promotions, calls to actions or
invitations to contact the sponsor is not acceptable.
• NO promotional references, price offers, detailed
descriptions, factual statements or claims, shots which
contain any benefits or positive attributes of the
sponsor, etc.

5. Brief Analysis…
From watching many sponsorship clips as research I have found that:
• There isn’t too much dialogue (in order to not break the rule of
promoting)
• Recognisable images are used as a unique selling point for the sponsor in
order to target the specific audience – for example, Compare the Market’s
sponsorship uses the meerkats and has one bit of on screen text saying
“#meerkatband” – people may search this hashtag (New media devise)
into twitter and find a topic on the sponsorship – leading to promotion of
the advertisement without obliging Ofcom’s rules.
• They target the same target audience as the programme – The family
show You’ve Been Framed uses a car advertisement for a family car with a
stereotyped nuclear family being used in the sponsor clip.
• Often link to the programme – Macleans Sponsorship for Dancing on Ice
shows a wintery scene and also shows ice skating in the action.

6. Initial Ideas…
• Fashion Website Commercial –
- Will sponsor a Reality Television programme, as from
research I have recognised this is where they mostly occur
as it targets a similar target audience. For example, The
Only Way is Essex is sponsored by boohoo.com
- The sponsor clip will be kept very basic, with just dialogue
and on screen text to the link the fashion website and also
dialogue and text saying “Sponsored by…” to stick the
Ofcom’s rules.
- The footage will be similar to the shots from the
commercial – very action based
(dancing, posing, movement, etc. – in the clothing and
products from the website).