ASDA Announce Innovative New Retail Partnership

With Chris De Burgh

Today Asda Stores has announced an innovative new retail partnership with Chris de Burgh.

The partnership will see Chris de Burgh exclusively release his latest CD, ‘Moonfleet & Other Stories’, through Asda’s network of 379 stores. Chris and his record label, Ferryman Productions, are working closely with Asda to promote and advertise the album through a comprehensive TV and in store marketing campaign, as well as feature performances and interviews with the multi-million selling artist.

Fergal Gara, Asda’s MVG Category Director said of Chris De Burgh ‘We’re delighted to be working with Chris and his team at Ferryman Productions to be exclusively releasing his new album ‘Moonfleet & Other Stories’. Chris is a household name who has sold millions of records and resonates particularly strongly with many Asda shoppers’.

On the scope of the partnership Gara said, ‘In a changing entertainment landscape it makes sense for Asda to investigate new ways of working to deliver more value and better choice for our customers.

This exclusive album release in partnership with Chris de Burgh and his label, Ferryman Productions, represents an unprecedented new style of relationship. Working this closely with an artist such as Chris de Burgh not only offers a greater potential for return for both parties, but also allows us to pass on a saving to Asda shoppers whilst offering an exclusive product just for them’.

In an upbeat statement de Burgh said of the deal, “I’m very happy and excited that management and record company have decided to make this unique deal with Asda and I wish them every success with the project” he added “I hope that this is a relationship that we can continue in the future.”

Kenny Thomson, Chris de Burgh’s manager and head of his record label, Ferryman Productions, said of the partnership “Ferryman Productions is proud to announce a unique collaboration with Asda for the new Chris de Burgh album, ‘Moonfleet & Other Stories’, released on 18th October 2010 between Ferryman Productions, Asda and Br&nd Romance. This collaboration is an industry first, with unique strategic marketing focused on the Asda stores, TV advertising and an extensive social networking campaign.”

The partnership was created by Br&nd Romance, and is one of the first projects for the new entertainment and brand partnership agency launched by Sarah Tinsley and Mat Morrisroe. Tinsley said of the partnership ‘Br&nd Romance are delighted to have created this partnership, which demonstrates a progressive and innovative approach to a challenging climate from both Asda and Chris’ manager, Kenny Thomson”. Morrisroe added, ‘this partnership is a continuation of our belief that the new music economy presents exciting new opportunities for both artists and brands to work in new, exciting and bountiful ways, what’s most exciting is how all the parties have worked together to deliver such a simple solution’.

The album, which features hit single ‘Everywhere I Go’, will be released on 18th October, exclusively in Asda stores.

About Asda Founded in the 1960s, Asda today is one of Britain’s leading retailers. It has over 170,000 dedicated Asda colleagues serving customers from 379 stores, including 25 Asda Living stores, 23 depots and eight recycling centres across the UK (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). It has its main home office in Leeds, Yorkshire and its George clothing division based in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Asda serves over 18 million shoppers a week in store and its growing home shopping business serves over 97 per cent of UK homes.

About BR&ND ROMANCE Br&nd Romance is a new entertainment and brand partnership agency, launched by Sarah Tinsley & Mat Morrisroe. The pair came to prominence as two of the key protagonists on the multi-international award winning partnership between Bacardi & Groove Armada which led to them founding the company; Tinsley as Global Marketing Manager of Bacardi & Morrisroe as Music Director at Euro RSCG KLP.

About Chris de Burgh Few artists can lay claim to international success spanning three decades but, beginning with his very first release, Chris has achieved precisely that. At the end of the day, the facts speak for themselves; a career encompassing 19 studio albums, approaching 3,000 concerts worldwide, plaudits and landmarks too numerous to mention, with record sales in excess of 46 million and counting. For more information on ‘Moonfleet & Other Stories’, follow Chris on Facebook or check his website, cdeb.com.