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Press release

NS&I LAUNCHES NEW TV ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

26 March 2007

NS&I (National Savings and Investments), the government-backed savings and investments provider, is launching a major TV advertising campaign on Friday 6 April.

The commercial promotes Premium Bonds, the unique savings vehicle which offers the chance to win tax-free* prizes.  Following on from the special anniversary draw in December 2006,  celebrating 50 years since the launch of Premium Bonds, NS&I will be launching a new marketing campaign to promote a subsequent (and final) anniversary draw which will mark the anniversary of the first Premium Bonds prize draw in June 1957. 

Premium Bond holders will have the chance to win five £1 million jackpot prizes which are on offer, instead of the usual two as well as over one million other tax-free prizes worth more than £100 million.

The campaign will continue the five jackpots theme, symbolised by a hand with five fingers held up to the camera and featuring a new presenter in a similar setting to the previous advertisement.

Record-breaking sales of Premium Bonds were prompted following the previous campaign, with sales of £2.2 billion generated in October 2006 and all these new Bonds were entered into the December 2006 draw along with all existing bonds.

In the past six years Premium Bonds have soared in popularity and there is currently £35 billion invested by 23 million people.  

The latest advert will be first aired on 6 April and will appear on all terrestrial commercial channels and selected satellite channels. The integrated campaign includes press, Classic FM and online, along with 48 sheet billboards and direct marketing. New brochures, posters and information will also be available in Post Offices™ nationwide.

The ad was written by Dave Trott and art directed by Gordon Smith of Chick Smith Trott. It was directed by Patricia Murphy of Patricia Murphy Films Ltd. Post production was done by Clear. OMD UK is the media agency. 

NS&I, with annual sales of £11 billion for 2005/6 and 27 million customers, has an advertising budget of £10 million which now includes TV, press, on-line and radio, with sponsorship of Classic FM, the Classical BRIT Awards and BBC Proms in the Park.  This is below the average spent by competitors such as Lloyds TSB, Abbey National, Halifax and Nationwide, enhancing value for money for the public.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. * All Premium Bonds prizes are free of UK income Tax and Capital Gains tax.
2. Screen grabs of the advertisement are available on request (in JPEG format).
3. NS&I is one of the UK’s largest financial providers, with a customer base of 27 million people and a record £78 billion invested.  It remains unique in that it provides retail savings and investments that are 100% secure, backed by HM Treasury.
4. NS&I is sole sponsor of The Classical BRIT Awards 2007, to be held at the Royal Albert Hall on 3 May, and BBC Proms in the Park, held at five sites across the UK on 8 September.
5. Further information on National Savings and Investments (NS&I), including press releases and product information, is available on the website at www.nsandi.com. You can also contact the NS&I media team.
6. Subscribe to the NS&I RSS newsfeed.  Simply copy and paste this link www.nsandi.com/mediacentre.xml into your RSS reader to receive regular news alerts from NS&I.
7. Tim Mack, Head of Marketing and Communications and John Prout, Sales Director are available for interview.

Media team
NS&I has a number of spokespeople available for interviews and our experienced radio team is available via our ISDN line: 020 7602 4522.

The numbers below are for media use only. Customers wishing to contact NS&I can find details here.

Gill Stephens		020 7348 9449
		gill.stephens@nsandi.com
Iman Asante		020 7348 9301
		iman.asante@nsandi.com
Angela Mason		020 7348 9433
		angela.mason@nsandi.com
ISDN for interviews		020 7602 4522
Out of hours		All numbers above diverted to staffed mobile phones

 

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