Initiative Secures Biggest-Ever IPC Media & AOL UK Partnership for Bernard Matthews

Initiative has developed a powerful new creative partnership between Bernard Matthews, IPC Media and Time Warner sibling AOL UK that sees the launch of the food manufacturers’ Family Time campaign. The press and online deal forms a key part of Bernard Matthews’ new media strategy for 2006.

Norfolk, UK (PRWEB) May 15, 2006 -- The Family Time campaign breaks this week and runs until the end of the year across four of IPC's most popular weekly titles: Woman, Chat, Pick Me Up and What's on TV - magazines with a combined weekly audience of 6.8 million readers in the UK. The campaign will also be supported with a dedicated micro site on AOL which builds on the editorial content.

The deal, solus to IPC and AOL, will see bespoke co-branded editorial content created for each magazine by IPC Creative, the company’s central creative advertising resource, in association with Bernard Matthews. The themed content will generate fun ideas for busy mums to achieve quality family time, including activity suggestions, offers on days out, cooking tips and recipe book giveaways. There will also be details of links to the AOL microsite and Bernard Matthews’ website.

AOL UK will support the activity with a Family Time microsite on the AOL hub, providing extra content and message boards for mums to exchange ideas, as well as links to Bernard Matthews’ website.

The campaign was planned by Simon Kennett, Initiative Account Director. The deal was brokered by Emma Dibben, Deputy Head of Press at Initiative, Richard Smith, Business Development Manager for IPC Media and Alistair Pinkney, Business Development Manager for AOL UK.

Commenting on the significance of the deal, Simon Kennett says, “The combination of press and online is a great integrated way of targeting Bernard Matthews’ changing consumer, with both platforms adding real depth to the brand communication.”

Richard Smith says: “This deal makes perfect sense for each partner. Bernard Matthews is a name synonymous with quality family food, and magazines like Woman, Chat, Pick Me Up and What’s on TV are quality reading for millions of mums across the UK every week. Together we’re generating fun new content to help busy mums get the very best of their family time.”

For more information about Bernard Matthews visit http://www.bernardmatthews.com

For further information on IPC contact Chris Taylor, head of media relations,

Tel: 020 7261 5276

For high-res cover images go to http://www.ipcmedia.com/press/imagebank.php

IPC Media is the biggest consumer magazine publisher in the UK. Its six publishing divisions are: IPC SouthBank, IPC tx, IPC ignite!, IPC Connect, IPC Country & Leisure Media and the Wallpaper* Group. IPC is wholly owned by Time Warner, the world's largest media group.

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