Media releases

THE 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS Sells Out MMVA Sponsorships with Nine Impressive Brands

TORONTO (ONTARIO) June 10, 2014

– More than eight record-breaking minutes of originally produced, branded content created during the show to run within the MMVA broadcast –
– Nine sponsors - Diet Coke®, H&M®, Bud Lime Lime-A-Rita, WONKA® NERDS®, Procter & Gamble®, Scotiabank, Samsung Electronics Canada, SUBWAY® Restaurants, and VIRGIN MOBILE CANADA™ participate in Bell Media Brand Partnership activations –

Nine of Canada’s most exciting brands join forces with the most explosive street party in the world/Canada at the 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS, bringing innovative sponsorships and initiatives to viewers across the country this Sunday. Teaming up with Much this year are Diet Coke®, H&M®, Bud Lime Lime-A-Rita, WONKA® NERDS®, Procter & Gamble®, Scotiabank, Samsung Electronics Canada, SUBWAY® Restaurants, and VIRGIN MOBILE CANADA™. The party kicks off with the 2014 MMVAs RED CARPET SPECIAL on Sunday, June 15 at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on Much, followed by the live show at 9 p.m. ET simulcast on Much, CTV, and CTV GO, and streamed on much.ca. 

“With an impressive nine sponsors on board for this year’s MMVAs, this annual broadcast continues to be the ultimate destination for youth-driven brands that want to connect with the loyal Much audience,” said Darryl Coburn, Vice-President, Specialty Sales & Brand Partnerships, Bell Media.

Bell Media continues to lead the way in branded content and sponsorship activations, selling out the highly coveted MMVA slots this year with an impressive nine sponsors. Each year, the MMVAs provide innovative opportunities for fans to be front row and centre to the awards, executing numerous contests and on-site activations that provide the most exclusive access. From sound check admission and MMVA weekend giveaways, to exclusive backstage access and the ultimate placement for the show, Much continues to offer the most unique and impactful sponsorships and contesting to each brand partner.

For the 2014 MMVAs, the Bell Media Brand Partnership team developed several innovative firsts:

• For the first time ever, H&M is designing a custom-made dress for Much VJ and MMVA Red Carpet co-host Liz Trinnear. Liz worked with H&M and the Ryerson School of Fashion to design the one-of-a-kind piece, which will be unveiled the night of the broadcast, Sunday, June 15.
• This year, Much and H&M execute the first-ever MMVA after-show, MMVA STYLE SQUAD. The post-awards recap features all the exciting fashion trends and triumphs at this year’s Awards. The special premieres exclusively online, Wednesday June 18 at 9 p.m. ET, followed by the on-air premiere, Thursday, June 19 at 7 p.m. ET, on Much.
• For the very first time, Much and Samsung are teaming up to give a contest winner the opportunity to join the official MMVA crew! The fan will have the best spot in the lot and will film the Awards for a live-stream airing on the official MMVA site. Also, Much and the Samsung Galaxy S5 present the MMVA Street Party, which is being held in Calgary. Hosted by M3’s Gaby Henderson, with a performance by Keys N Krates, and additional surprise performances, the party will be a one-of-a-kind event for fans that cannot attend the MMVAs in Toronto.

Kicking into high gear with the 2014 MMVAs, Much is producing more live sponsored content than ever before with its nine Brand Partnership activations. More than eight record-breaking minutes of branded content will be presented during the live red carpet show and the live awards, consistently and seamlessly integrating Much’s brand partners into the excitement of the broadcast. All eight minutes of content are produced and edited over the course of the MMVA weekend as well as on the night of the Awards, and each branded content vignette is specifically customized with the partner’s needs and objectives in mind. Led by the Bell Media Brand Partnership team, Bell Media’s Creative Agency developed and will execute all broadcast and design creative. Much’s digital team will manage all aspects of the online and mobile execution.

Below are details about nine innovative, co-branded partnership overlays taking place for the 2014 MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS:

Diet Coke®

Diet Coke is an official sponsor of the 2014 MMVAs and will be showcasing their 0 calories, 0 sugar product across broadcast, digital, and mobile.

H&M®

H&M is the fashion authority of the 2014 MMVAs, bringing viewers the first-ever MMVA STYLE SQUAD after-show to recap the trends and triumphs of this year’s celebrity MMVA looks. Much and H&M are also giving viewers the chance to win a VIP MMVA weekend, including a walk on the official red carpet, by celebrating the selfie. To enter, viewers are invited to upload an MMVA-inspired “Outfit of the Day” on Instagram using #MMVA #HMOOTD. Viewers are also invited to head over to much.ca/fashion to get OOTD inspiration with a past-MMVA fashion look-book and check out the gallery of contest entries. Users can vote on their favourite entries for chances to win H&M gift cards. After June 1, much.ca/fashion will transform into a Fashion Vertical to bring viewers a pop-up blog of daily content. In addition, H&M will be designing this year’s MMVA wristbands, along with a custom dress for VJ Liz Trinnear, partly made out of textiles from the H&M garment collecting program. Much will follow Liz’s dress journey as she works with H&M and the Ryerson School of Fashion to customize her design; the experience will be featured in vignettes on the Fashion Vertical and in the MMVA STYLE SQUAD. By keeping the final design a surprise, viewers can tune-in to catch Liz’s big dress reveal on the MMVA red carpet, on Sunday, June 15.
       

Bud Lime Lime-A-Rita

Much and Bud Lime Lime-A-Rita share a passion for music and for creating amazing, interactive fan experiences. The hottest beer of the summer is joining forces with the hottest event of summer to bring the Lime-A-Rita Lounge to connect with fans during the MMVAs. Hosted by Much VJs Liz Trinnear and Phoebe Dykstra, the Lime-A-Rita Lounge is a backstage hotspot where the biggest names in music can relax, chat, and check out new Bud Lime Lime-A-Rita, Straw-Ber-Rita and Mang-O-Rita. Fans of legal drinking age can follow all the behind-the-scenes ‘uncensored’ lounge action during a two-hour, online live stream. Viewers at home are encouraged to join the fun by submitting questions for their favourite stars. Plus, fans in front of the TV will get a sneak peek at the lounge through three on-air live hits that aim to drive traffic online for the full experience.

WONKA® NERDS®

Back for a second year, Much and WONKA® NERDS® are celebrating individuality amongst our fans by giving them a chance to win a totally customized MMVA weekend experience. Viewers can enter by choosing and submitting one option from five categories – 1) ‘Digs’, 2) ‘Fuel’, 3) ‘Style’, 4) ‘Pre-MMVA Activity’ and finally 5) ‘Mode of Arrival on the MMVA Red Carpet’, for a chance to win their picks! Users can select from wide variety of options, ranging from 5-star hotels to cozy bed and breakfasts, helicopter tours of Toronto to shopping sprees to paintball games, hummer limos to casual rickshaw rides, just to name a few. By logging in to their MuchCloser accounts, users can increase their chances of winning by completing missions and earning artist badges for extra entries. New this year, the winner’s unique experience will be captured for a spot that premieres in the MMVA broadcast!

Procter & Gamble®

Procter and Gamble® is back once again sponsoring the 2014 MMVAs in support of Turn it Up – the ultimate social destination online for all things beauty, fashion, music, and culture. COVERGIRL, Olay, and Herbal Essences have teamed up to bring viewers the ultimate girl's night out (and everything in between) guide. Whether viewers are looking for the latest beauty trend, a fresh new playlist, or the hottest fashion advice, Turn it Up provides them with a daily dose of inspiration. Check it out: www.turn-it-up.ca

Scotiabank

Much and Scotiabank have teamed up to put not one but two lucky fans on the MMVA Red Carpet. Viewers are invited to upload a photo to Instagram proving they’re the ultimate MMVA fan – whether it’s their Ariana Grande shrine or their collection of Hedley posters – any ultimate fans could get in on all the action. The winners will be flown to Toronto for the entire MMVA weekend experience, ending up front and centre on the red carpet. Plus, they will star in a 15-second commercial showcasing their red carpet experience, airing during the MMVA broadcast! All the details are available at much.ca/Scotiabank and viewers are invited to follow Scotiabank on Instagram for contest updates and exclusive MMVA content.

Samsung Electronics Canada

To celebrate the launch of the new Electric Blue and Copper Gold versions of the GALAXY S5, Much and Samsung Canada have teamed up to give one lucky winner and a friend the chance to join the official MMVA crew! Positioned in the best spot in the lot, they’ll help film the show that will then live-stream on the MMVA site, giving fans at home a view from the crowd. Consumers can enter to win at Much.ca/crew. The fun doesn’t end there: Much and the Samsung Galaxy S5 Present the MMVA Street Party in Calgary, Alberta, giving fans out west their very own VIP MMVA experience. With a special guest host and surprise artist performances, fans will have every excuse to celebrate, capture, and share the hype! In addition, Much will shoot three live hits on-site at the party that are set to air in-show during the MMVA broadcast. Consumers interested in learning more about the GALAXY S5 should check out: Samsung.com/TrendingNow. Some conditions apply. Visit Much.ca/crew for official contest rules and more details.

SUBWAY® Restaurants

For its third year, SUBWAY® Restaurants will be at work backstage, fuelling the MMVAs by feeding the celebs, VIPs, crew, and fans. The activation is once again amplified with the addition of a Backstage Correspondent contest! Viewers can enter to win a weekend working alongside Correspondent Dan Rodo and the Much team, reporting to viewers from across Canada on how the big show comes together. The entire backstage activation from SUBWAY® Restaurants is showcased in a 30-second spot that airs during the MMVAs, and viewers can catch the rest of the behind-the-scenes content at much.ca/backstage.

VIRGIN MOBILE CANADA™

Much and Virgin Mobile Canada are hooking up Virgin Mobile Members all weekend long at the MMVAs. Select Members who’ve hooked up with Virgin Mobile get the ultimate VIP experience by taking in the Virgin Mobile MMVA Soundcheck from their seats in the exclusive Virgin Mobile Members Lounge and locking eyes with the hottest celebs from their front and centre spots on the red carpet all before taking in the live show. Also, one lucky grand prize winner and their plus one will be flown into Toronto and set up in a trendy hotel minutes away from all the action. For the winning Members looking to cash in on part of their 15 minutes of fame, the full weekend experience will be captured and aired in a special 30-second spot during the MMVA live broadcast.

Follow Much on Twitter: @Much

About the MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

Much gives fans the experience of a lifetime by putting them as close as humanly possible to their favourite artists and celebrities at the 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS. The show airs live on Sunday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET on Much and CTV, with a star-packed Red Carpet special beforehand at 8 p.m. ET, exclusively on Much. Past MMVA performers and presenters include: Adam Lambert, Avril Lavigne, The Black Eyed Peas, The Black Keys, Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, Carly Rae Jepsen, Colin Farrell, Down With Webster, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Hedley, Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Kellan Lutz, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton, Pauly D, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Snooki, Snoop Dogg, Taylor Lautner, and many more. At the MMVAs, the audience is the priority; Much gives them the best seats in the house, whether a foot from the stage or a foot from a television, computer, or mobile phone. Fans should hit up Much regularly at much.ca or Twitter @Much for the most up-to-date info about the event of the year.

– Much –

For more information on the 2014 MMVAs:

Nicola Krishna, Music & Entertainment Specialties, 416.384.5276, nicola.krishna@bellmedia.ca