First Choice’s I’m A Celebrity …Get Me Out of Here sponsorship had “run its course” and was becoming too pricey, managing director mainstream holidays Dermot Blastland has said.
Blastland told an e-tid breakfast briefing for ABTA Convention delegates the company originally sponsored the show following cut-backs on its advertising budget.
“It was quite effective but this time they asked for more money and it was getting a bit pricey.”
He admitted the company had come in for flak from other companies for its most recent sponsorship of the series, in which it promoted improvements to its aircraft fleet.
“We were pushing the envelope and one airline said it wasn’t sponsorship, it was advertising – we got away with it,” he said.
The company’s advertising budget had increased and it now preferred to spend money on pure advertising, although sponsorship of future TV shows has not been ruled out.