Nine has named its major sponsors for the 2020 season of Australian Ninja Warrior.
The fourth season of the global Ninja Warrior phenomenon will see the return of major brands including Energizer and KFC, with new sponsors including Sanofi, Aldi and Nutri-Grain also joining the program.
“Australian Ninja Warrior is a powerhouse format that dominates the demographics and has a real influence to bring families around the television,” says Nine’s Director of Powered, Liana Dubois.
“This makes it a brilliant format for our clients. We are very excited to be partnering with our returning brands and thrilled to have new brands join us on board another action-charged season of Australian Ninja Warrior.”
World-leading battery manufacturer Energizer, returning in its second year, will have on-ground branding with The Power Tower occurring at the end of each heat and semi-final, where for the first time it will be Ninja versus Ninja, as the two furthest and fastest Ninjas each night strive for a game-changing advantage. Energizer will also receive branded logo associated with an on-screen timer shown during Ninja runs, a bespoke, integrated billboard featuring their famous animated Mr Energizer, and an interactive digital fireplace game.
hivani Maharaj, National Head of Content & Partnerships, Wavemaker, said: “Ninja Warrior is one of Australia’s most loved TV shows and perfectly encapsulates Energizer’s values of power, performance and endurance. We are thrilled to see the brand new obstacle, The Power Tower, come to life and believe that 2020 is set to be an amazing year for Ninja Warrior.
“Completing production during the pandemic was challenging, but Nine, Powered and Endemol Shine have demonstrated agility and flexibility. The production community deserves a medal for how they are adapting shows, especially those that rely on a live audience.
“We’ve seen what has successfully been done on The Voice and now we will see it on Australian Ninja Warrior. We couldn’t have asked for better partners to work with at this time and we are delighted for Wavemaker and Energizer to be a part of it.”
Nine’s Powered Studios will help design integrated TV commercials for its first partnership with Sanofi Consumer Healthcare this year, covering five of their winter brands: Cenovis, Nature’s Own, Betadine, Bisolvon and Mersynofen. They will position their suite of products as “The Winter Superheroes”, as well as leveraging the Australian Ninja Warrior brand through logo association across POS, digital and print, leaning into their “Winter Superheroes” campaign.
Aldi, another major brand coming on board for the first time, will have branded logos appearing on digital perimeter screens alongside the obstacle course and also across the on-screen leader and hero boards.
Returning for its fourth year, KFC will also have branded logos on digital perimeter screens and crowd incidentals with branded foam fingers. Additionally, KFC has commissioned Powered Studios to create a new digital content series called “Thrills and Spills” on the official Australian Ninja Warrior website, with branded playout in-program to drive the series.
“To celebrate our ongoing partnership with Ninja Warrior, we’ll be showcasing all the Ninjas’ nailbiting, risk-taking and go-for-it moments in our new digital content series, ‘Thrills and Spills’. To all the Ninjas: fire up, unleash your free spirits, and we look forward to celebrating with you at the top of Mt Midoriyama,” Kristi Woolrych, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC Australia, said.
Joining in its first year, Nutri-Grain will have an integrated back story in-program featuring footage of Ironman and Ironwoman competitors. Nutri-Grain-branded logo will appear on the digital perimeter screens alongside the obstacle course and be visible during the Ninja runs.
REA, AAMi and Ahm will also leverage the power of Australian Ninja Warrior through billboard association.
Season four of Australian Ninja Warrior premieres on Sunday, July 26, at 7.00pm on Nine and 9Now.
