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KRAFT IS EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR OF HALLMARK CHANNEL�S HOLIDAY
ORIGINAL �A CAROL CHRISTMAS�
Kraft�s Second Entitlement on Network will Highlight Planters, Ritz, and
French Vanilla Cool Whip Brands
Hallmark Channel Creating Unique Kraft Holiday Interstitials for Entitlement
Hallmark Channel announced today it has secured Kraft as the exclusive sponsor
of its holiday movie �A Carol Christmas,� which will air on Sunday, December 5 at 9 p.m.
(E/P). The movie entitlement will include a reduced commercial load of four minutes per
hour, with Kraft products exclusively featured during breaks. Additionally, Hallmark
Channel has created custom holiday-themed Kraft interstitials that will create a seamless
environment for viewers. The announcement was made by Bill Abbott, EVP of
Advertising Sales for Hallmark Channel.
During �A Carol Christmas,� Kraft will highlight its Planters, Ritz and French
Vanilla Cool Whip brands. Along with Kraft�s traditional advertising spots, Hallmark
Channel will air six customized interstitials that tie each brand to the holiday on-air
environment through the eyes of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Throughout the
interstitials, Santa is asking viewers to expand their snack offerings on Christmas Eve,
beyond the traditional cookies and milk. For example, one interstitial has Santa arriving
on Christmas Eve then stating �you never know who might be dropping by for a visit
during the holidays, so be sure to have extra snacks like Ritz crackers on-hand.�
�Kraft returning for a second exclusive entitlement shows the unique value these
sponsorships provide to our clients,� stated Abbott. �Hallmark Channel is known as a
destination for holiday programming, and this is a great fit for Kraft to break through the
clutter.�
�Hallmark Channel�s holiday movie provides a wonderful opportunity for Kraft to
integrate its brands within the show�s environment,� said Gary Gruneberg, Director of
Media Buying for Kraft Foods.
Kraft�s holiday entitlement is its second exclusive sponsorship of a Hallmark
Channel movie. Earlier this year, Kraft sponsored the network�s premiere of �The Parent
Trap (1998),� scoring Hallmark Channel�s second highest movie telecast in history with a
2.1 HH rating.
In �A Carol Christmas,� tempestuous talk show host Carol Cartman (Tori Spelling,
�Beverly Hills, 90210�) is a modern day �Scrooge.� Insensitive, self-centered and
downright stingy, the celebrity is working her TV crew to the bone, oblivious to the
hardship � and hard feelings � she leaves in her wake. On Christmas Eve, when the
egomaniacal Carol lays down for a nap before her big holiday show, she gets a series of
visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, who present her with a
priceless gift � the chance to change her ways and change her life.
Hallmark Channel is a 24-hour basic cable channel that provides high-quality,
entertainment programming to a national audience of more than 64 million subscribers.
The program service is distributed through nearly 4,500 cable systems and communities
and direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Crown Media Holdings, Inc.
(NASDAQ: CRWN) owns and operates Hallmark Channel, which, in addition to the U.S.,
is distributed worldwide to more than 122 countries. The combined channels reach
more than 116 million subscribers globally. In January 2004, Crown launched its first
digital service, the Hallmark Movie Channel, which is its second 24-hour linear channel.
Through its subsidiary, Crown Media Distribution, LLC, Crown also distributes awardwinning
titles from the Hallmark Entertainment collection for exhibition in a variety of
television media including Video-on-Demand and High Definition Television.
- HALLMARK CHANNEL -
For more information please visit hallmarkchannel.com or hallmarkmoviechannel.com.
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