Churchill sign up as sponsors of new peak time show on ITV, Animal Heroes

ITV Commercial have today announced that Churchill Insurance will be the sponsor of the upcoming peak time show, Animal Heroes, which kicks off on Tuesday, 4th June, 2013 at 8.00pm on ITV.

Animal Heroes is a three-part series following the animals that serve with British service men and women across the world. It closely follows The Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), a team of highly professional veterinary surgeons, handlers and nurses who dedicate their lives to the welfare of 1,500 animals serving in the military. Animal Heroes is a Twenty Twenty production, produced by Chris Malone.

As part of Churchill’s sponsorship of Animal Heroes, ITN Productions, the commercial creative hub of ITN, has produced eight idents of five seconds, ten seconds or fifteen seconds. Filmed at Battersea Dogs Home, the idents see Churchill and a dog trainer put some clever canines through their paces on a dog assault and agility course. Whilst some perform well, others encounter stage fright or take a wrong turn. The idents are shot in a style that complements the warm, emotional and funny stories that viewers can expect from Animal Heroes itself.

Ryan Gardiner, Sponsorship Sales Manager at ITV, said: "We are delighted to welcome Churchill to ITV in their first sponsorship with the network. Animal Heroes is a great brand fit for Churchill, and we look forward to activating the partnership both on and off air".

Amanda Walker, Marketing Director at Churchill, said: "The idents really create a sense of how hard the dogs in the show have to work, and is perfectly matched to the creative content. There is a subtle humour which shines through and which we hope the viewing audience will enjoy watching".

Kelly Davis, Executive Producer at ITN Productions, said: "This is a creative that truly matches the property that the idents will appear alongside. The results of pairing the beloved Churchill dog with his real life counterparts are cute, warm and witty and will add to viewers' enjoyment of Animal Heroes itself. Filming this on location at Battersea Dogs Home adds to the authenticity, which shines through in the creative execution".