Masdar Announced As Exclusive Commercial Partner Around CNN’s New Monthly Environmental Series

Masdar’s first international programme sponsorship runs as multi-tiered ad partnership on television, online, in print and on mobile

The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar begins its 2010 commercial association with CNN International with the exclusive sponsorship of the network’s newest monthly environmental series, ‘Earth’s Frontiers’, due to launch to international audiences on 25th February. As CNN seeks to set the agenda for moving the sustainability debate forward, the multi-platform advertising campaign extends the Masdar brand footprint, with their first international programme sponsorship, connecting with CNN’s audience of opinion leaders on air, online, in print and through a series of global debates.

Rani R Raad, Senior VP Advertising Sales, CNN International comments: “Masdar’s bold vision and leadership in future energy is a great fit for this innovative programming initiative and we’re very pleased to have them on board as our commercial partners. This advertising campaign is a turn-key international media solution, on every platform and we look forward to seeing the Masdar brand connect with CNN’s high profile audiences – so many of whom have a huge interest in sustainability and the economics of future energy.”

Wadi Ahmed, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications, said: “Masdar is committed to finding viable solutions to the world’s future energy challenges, which is why we are delighted to partner with CNNs new ’Earth’s Frontiers’ series. These cutting edge programmes will not only serve to educate viewers but will also help to raise the profile of the challenges that the world faces in relation to global resources, helping to push these issues to the forefront of political and media consciousness.

The world has started to take notice of the strategic role that Abu Dhabi is increasingly playing on the global stage; exemplified by CNNs recent decision to launch its fourth broadcast facility in the emirate. Our commercial partnership, with what is one of the world’s leading news broadcasters, allows us to communicate Masdar’s unique proposition and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s visionary approach in the global future energy market to audiences across the world,” he concluded.

The Masdar campaign includes exclusive sponsorship of advertorial vignettes made by CNN Ad Sales’ dedicated in-house production unit Turner Commercial Productions. The series of five vignettes airing throughout the month, will serve to highlight Masdar’s varying initiatives in renewable energy from the Masdar Institute with its partnership with MIT to Masdar City, a groundbreaking project to build the first carbon neutral city of its kind in the world.

Masdar also sponsors four 30 minute quarterly televised debates held in major cities around the world where CNN hosts discussions between leading environmental entrepreneurs, business leaders and personalities, bringing the issues and Masdar branding front and centre with CNN’s audiences worldwide. The commercial partnership affords Masdar the license to leverage Earth’s Frontiers programming assets including the vignettes and debates for internal purposes.

Online, Masdar are the exclusive sponsor of the bespoke ‘Earth’s Frontiers’ microsite http://edition.cnn.com/earthsfrontiers with banner advertising around content that will showcase the ‘Earth’s Frontiers’ films to users, provide a platform for debate and audience feedback as well as invite users to create their own content.

In a regional first, Masdar also lend their brand to CNN Mobile with a run-of-site banner campaign and CNN Traveller magazine will also run a series of Masdar print advertisements for the duration of the campaign, closing off the multiple-touchpoint sponsorship drive.

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