What does it take to get Tiffany to advertise on TV? A big event like the Super Bowl – or this weekend’s royal wedding between Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle.
Tiffany & Co. will serve as a flagship advertiser during CNN’s coverage of the event this weekend, running a commercial on linear TV but also sponsoring the cable-news network’s live-stream of the event across its digital properties and its In addition to the spot airing on CNN, Tiffany will be a sponsor of the live-stream of the Royal Wedding across CNN’s digital properties and its broadband CNNgo app, and in certain overseas markets.
The luxury-goods retailer has not been on TV since last year’s Super Bowl and is not a big purchaser of TV advertising in general. But CNN made an effort to start wooing advertisers to its coverage of the event back in February, says Katria Cukaj, executive vice president of ad sales strategy and network partnerships for Turner Ad Sales, in an interview. “We aren’t the only ones covering it, so we got in big and we got out early,” she says.
CNN’s work to line up advertiser support for the event speaks to an emerging dynamic at cable-news outlets, which have been tightly focused on news about President Trump and politics. Their coverage of big cultural moments can be attractive to a different set of sponsors.
Last August, Volvo Cars USA served as the sponsor of a unique CNN live-streaming presentation of the 2017 solar eclipse. The Time Warner-owned cable network used special 4K 360° cameras to capture seven ‘total eclipse’ moments between Oregon and South Carolina. When ABC News broadcast a two-hour special to cover the event, it lured Mitsubishi Motors North America to sell its Eclipse during the eclipse.
“We have had a lot of success covering these big cultural moments” ranging from the eclipse to New Year’s Eve, notes Cukaj. CNN “goes all in on the news, so we want to go all in on the advertising opportunities.”
Volvo is once again taking part. The automaker will use the wedding to promote its new XC90 on CNN’s TV network and digital properties.
The prospect of surrounding CNN’s coverage of the wedding with a message of its own about love proved alluring, says Nathan Strauss, a spokesman for the company. “We believe this piece of creative, with its modern love message, will be particularly resonant with the Royal Wedding audience,” he said. Tiffany will run a 60-second ad featuring Alicia Keys singing the song, “No One.”
CNN has announced that Alisyn Camerota, Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon will anchor its coverage of the wedding from Windsor Castle, which will be simulcast across CNN, HLN and CNN International. The live-stream will be featured on CNN’s digital and mobile outlets between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. eastern.
