ISawItFirst is Love Island sponsor, expect big sales boost

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 23, 2019

Online retailer ISawItFirst has just been announced as sponsor of hit TV show Love Island for 2019. While sponsorship deals come thick and fast these days, the ITV2 show has become a broadcasting phenomenon and data last year after its run ended showed that its sponsors, and other brands whose clothes were worn on screen, saw a major boost in turnover.

Female contestants on Love Island will wear the latest looks from the e-tailer’s summer collection as part of the fashion placement partnership, which was won after a competitive brand pitch.

The company is one of a wave companies (headed by pureplay e-tail giant Boohoo) that have turned Manchester into UK fashion’s ‘second city’ in recent years and they’ve all shown that they know how to reach their young, pop culture-focused audience, with deals such as this increasingly important to their marketing plans.

In addition to product placement throughout the series, the fast-fashion firm will style the Islanders for key events “and will have a presence on the show’s click-to-buy app - giving viewers an easy way to find and shop the outfits seen on screen.”

John Kehoe, CEO of Media Agency Group, which brokered the deal  said: “We had the upmost confidence they’d be a perfect brand fit for Love Island’s fashion partnership. TV has a valuable place in the whole marketing mix and Love Island has clearly demonstrated how young audiences are using the medium to consume relevant content and subsequently make relevant fashion buying choices.”

Love Island returns to screens on June 3 and, despite criticism that the programme-maker doesn’t take enough care of the mental health of contestants, is expected to be another hit.

Last year, sponsor Missguided saw a 97% increase in online visits from Love Island fans over the duration of the series, contrasted with a 9% rise in traffic from the general public in the same period. Boohoo’s rise was 75% and Shein saw fan visits up 117% but general public visits rising just 30%.

Superdrug, another show sponsor, heavily promoted the products that were featured on the show and later said that the link-up helped its profits to rise sharply.