National carrier, Gulf Air signed a new branded-content deal with CNBC, the leading business and financial news channel, taking the carrier into the heart of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
The campaign will run on the channel across until February 2011.
"As the carrier with the largest network in the Middle East, the campaign across the EMEA region will further enhance Gulf Air's position as an international carrier with a leadership position in the region," said Kyle Haywood, Chief Commercial Officer, Gulf Air in a statement yesterday.
"We look forward to welcoming more business travellers onto our flights, which serve a diverse network of worldwide destinations through Bahrain, the business hub of the Arabian Gulf."
"This branded content deal with Gulf Air is yet another example of the innovative and targeted advertising solutions we can provide high-profile brands as they seek to reach the C-suite audience in the EMEA region," said Paul Maraviglia, Vice President, Sales, EMEA, CNBC.
As a part of the agreement, Gulf Air is sponsoring 'Who's Who in the Middle East', a series of vignettes featuring interviews with leading business figures from the region, including Joseph Ghossaub, Chairman and CEO of Menacom, Khaled Hassan Rashed, CEO of Corecap and Mohammed Al Habtoor, CEO of the Al Habtoor Group.
Gulf Air branded opening and closing billboards air around each vignette.
CNBC also produced a combination of 60 and 30 second advertising spots for Gulf Air, which will run throughout the campaign. Filmed on location in Bahrain, they showcase Gulf Air as a leading carrier in the region with its employees giving a personal narrative about their passions, reinforcing the care and attention that lies behind the airline and its employees.
The channel is available in approximately 130 million homes, 1,400 banks and financial institutions and leading hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
CNBC is a wholly owned subsidiary of NBC Universal, the broadcasting unit of the General Electric Company (GE).
By K.V.S. Madhav
© Bahrain Tribune 2010
