Domino's Pizza in Splash! Sponsorship Fail as it clashes with Government's new Change 4 Life campaign
Domino's Pizza's sponsorship of ITV diving reality show Splash! suffered a huge belly flop last night when the government's stern warning about the fat content of pizzas was broadcast a few seconds after one of Domino's bumpers advertising its connection to the programme.
The unfortunate juxtaposition will undermine any sense of triumph generated by the unexpectedly impressive ratings secured by the programme which has teenage Olympian Tom Daley teaching a motley crew of minor celebrities how to perform a dive. Despite being lashed by the critics, Splash! was the most-watched Saturday night broadcast for the second week running.
This is the second example in recent weeks of an ill-timed sponsorship bumper striking a jarring note - during a broadcast of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' on Channel 4, a bumper for Phones 4 U inadvertently created the impression that the mobile phone retailer was making light of a brutal rape scene.
It offers a further reminder to broadcasters and advertisers that there's a pressing need for joined-up thinking when it comes to media scheduling.