WKD Partners With Love Island for a Second Year
WKD – the no.1 RTD brand in the UK(1) – is getting its suitcase from the loft and checking its passport in advance of a return trip to TV’s Love Island. With brand owner SHS Drinks announcing it has struck an exclusive deal for WKD to be the Official Alcohol Partner of Love Island series 8, a major summer campaign of support for the UK’s favourite RTD(2) will amplify the association with the hit ITV2 show.
Love Island is a relationship-based reality show featuring a cast of singles hoping to find love in the sun and win the hearts of the nation. The programme format has transcended from TV show to cultural phenomenon over recent years and the 2022 partnership will provide WKD with extensive co-branded opportunities and form the focal point for the brand’s marketing support this year.
Love Island series 8 will air across the summer. Comprehensive plans to leverage WKD’s Official Partner status and maximise the tie-in will comprise broadcast media, significant on-trade activation with Island-themed sharing cocktails and promotional giveaways, and a huge social, digital and influencer campaign, including exclusive WKD-themed content featuring Islanders. In the off-trade, co-branded Love Island promotional packs will help drive broad awareness of the programme collaboration.
The 2022 association marks the second consecutive year that WKD has partnered with Love Island; last year’s link-up was so positively received that a further deal for 2022 was sought. Last year’s series was 2021’s most-watched commercial programme for 18 to 25-year-olds(3) (the WKD core target); the series achieved an average of 4.2m total viewers per episode(3); at its peak, 11k programme-related tweets per minute were posted(3).
Significant broadcast presence
The high-profile tie-in will see WKD on TV with ads showcasing the programme association. Airing across ITV2, ITV Hub, video-on-demand (VOD) and the official Love Island app, the broadcast elements of the campaign will reach 7.2m viewers.
Impactful on-trade activation
Bringing the partnership to life in the on-trade and increasing rate of sale for stockists, WKD and Love Island will transform participating outlets with a wide-reaching campaign under the theme WKD Island Nights. Taking the Love Island tie-in to the on-trade for the very first time, the impactful promotional activity will cement the sponsorship association in the eyes of the consumer and comprise:
I. A trio of Love Island-inspired sharing cocktails will bring Island vibes to pubs and bars across the UK. Blue Hideaway, Pink Amor and Villa Sunrise will give groups of friends the opportunity to drink in the Island atmosphere…from the comfort of their favourite local bar.
II. Echoing the famous on-screen set, pop-up ‘Beach Hut’ replicas will appear in outlets nationwide, offering opportunities for fun selfies and content to share on social media.
III. A collection of Island-themed giveaways is set to provide the summer’s most sought-after promotional items.
IV. Impactful back-bar displays and fun staff wearables will drive awareness of outlets’ involvement in this summer’s WKD Island Nights campaign.
Social media highlights
Love Island viewers have an insatiable hunger for information and gossip about the show and participants, and WKD has a range of initiatives to ensure that Island chat needn’t stop when last orders is called:
· A WKD takeover of the Love Island app will engage with over 2m active users(4)
· A vast social media campaign will reach 7m consumers
· WKD will have special on-set access to film branded Love Island content
· Islanders will take part in #YourWKDSide activities in the Beach Hut
· WKD will feature on Love Island’s Instagram accounts, reaching 3m followers
Geo-targeted content on WKD social channels will generate awareness of venues participating in the Island Nights campaign, creating interest and driving footfall.
Alison Gray, head of brand – WKD at SHS Drinks, says: “We’re really proud to be linking with Love Island for a second time; we’re the perfect couple and just meant to be together! The programme is a TV phenomenon with huge reach and fans can’t get enough of it. In a fragmented media landscape, the continued success of Love Island highlights just how much our target consumers still relish a shared media experience. Last year, Love Island attracted three times more all-important 18-25 viewers than other similarprogramme formats(3).
“Consumer feedback was extremely positive last year and now we’re back with an all-inclusive package deal that’s even bigger and even better, incorporating a significant on-trade campaign which will really bring the programme association to life in outlets. Consumers are going to see WKD and Love Island brands partnered up on TV, partnered up in on-trade venues and partnered up on social media. In addition, this year we’ll be filming exclusive WKD content on location in the sun and also setting Islanders some of our very own cheeky ‘YourWKDSide’ challenges. As 2022’s winning couple, WKD and Love Island are going to serve up some sizzling summer fun to entertain, engage and engender sales growth.”
(1)Source: Total UK RTD category combined value (£): Nielsen Scantrack Take Home MAT to 23.04.22 and CGA On-trade MAT to 06.11.21
(2)Source: System 1, Brand Health Study – WKD has four times the consumer awareness of other RTD brands
(3)Source: ITV, Series 7 (2021)
(4)Source: Series 7 (2021) app stats
