Sky Sports launches mash-up ads

Sky Sports has created two viral mash-up ads featuring bizarre sporting scenarios such as England cricketer Monty Panesar bowling to golfer Ernie Els to promote its sports coverage.

A second viral ad features the South African-born England batsman Kevin Pietersen batting his way out of a bunker on a golf course.

BSkyB said it was the first time viral ads had been created to promote Sky Sports event coverage.

The ads, created by agency Brothers and Sisters, feature real clips and commentary mixed with incongruous footage of, for example, Els playing a golf shot as if he was facing a Panesar delivery.

The clips, which have been seeded on YouTube, aim to promote Sky Sports' coverage - available in high definition - of the US Open golf and the upcoming NatWest 20/20 and one-day cricket matches between England and the West Indies.

"These virals are just the start of a longer-term commitment to developing more rich content online," said Scott Gallacher, the director of online and marketing partnerships at Sky Sports parent company, BSkyB.

"There are many talented amateurs out there creating video mash-ups and we want to recognise that culture and also bring our professional skills as a broadcaster to creating the content."

Mr Gallacher added that the look, feel and style of the clips had been developed with internet audiences in mind.

He said the clips were unlikely to be used as TV ads and that if Sky had tried from the outset to develop a cross-platform ad - or just put an existing TV ad online - the style of the ad would have been diluted.

Source: Media Guardian