UK: Jameson cuts Empire film awards deal

Jameson has signed a deal to become the title sponsor of the Empire Awards 2009 in the film magazines 20th anniversary year.

The partnership will include editorial coverage in the next six editions of Empire Magazine and exclusive spirit status at the awards ceremony, to be held in March, including sponsorship of the best actor award.

The Irish whiskey brand, owned by Pernod Ricard, already has a marketing campaign based around film, with its recently announced 'Jameson Cult Film Club' partnership with ShortList Magazine. The brand has also sponsored film awards and festivals in over 20 markets.

The new deal will also include ownership of the 'Done in Sixty Seconds' award, an interactive online award category which selects from 60-second versions of films created by Empire readers. The entries will be collated and showcased on the Jameson Empire Awards micro site.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Patrick Venning, head of marketing for Jameson at Pernod Ricard UK said: "This is a really exciting partnership that's going to allow Jameson to build its relationship with film even further. Our consumers have responded very well to the brand's investment in film to date which is why Pernod Ricard UK has decided to partner up with the UK's top film magazine, Empire, to create an event and a campaign that will embody our 'Seriously Playful' brand image."