The announcement marks a strategic change for the telecommunications company, which has not sponsored any music festivals until now. The deal with festival organiser SOLO will allow BT to advertise its association via its voice, broadband and Vision products and use its branding across the 250-acre festival site. BT will also be offering tickets to the sold-out event, which will feature a raft of big acts including N.E.R.D., Kaiser Chiefs and The Police, to further highlight its involvement.
BT said it would be sponsoring another 'globally-recognised' event within the coming month, but declined to provide more details.
The company is hoping its sponsorship will complement its multimedia entertainment offerings such as BT Vision and help it stand out as a top choice for new media in a crowded telecoms industry. Rival Virgin has long been associated with festival sponsorship, having launched the V festival in the late 90s.
Last year a number of brands linked with festivals including the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park (Ray-Ban and Sony Ericsson); Glastonbury (The Guardian, Orange, Carlsberg); and London's V Festival (Mobile, Carling, Strongbow, Bacardi) and Reading's Carling Weekend (Nokia and NME). (see Marketing, 19 September)
The Isle of Wight Festival takes place 13-15 June at Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight.
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