Bausch & Lomb Extends Ugly Betty Deal In China

Bausch & Lomb, world's leading suppliers of eye health products, working with Mindshare, has extended its commitment to its first branded content project in China, for seasons 3, 4 and 5 of the popular Ugly Betty TV drama.

The project is collaboration between Mindshare; entertainment broadcast network Hunan satellite TV; and the producers of the Chinese version of the comedy drama TV program 'Ugly Betty', which attracted 73 million viewers across the country on its opening night.

“With B&L being the leader in the contact lens market, it places a lot of effort in educating consumers. However, we found that the use of traditional media are often restricted by time and scope, it makes it difficult to communicate the product messages comprehensively. The aim for us is to find a new media platform that allows us to communicate the product attributes effectively, in a relatively informal and influential manner. The target audience for Ugly Betty and B&L match well. Through branded content, we hope to raise the brand profile of B&L and its products amongst its targeted consumers in China. In conjunction with the branded content initiative, below-the-line promotions will be in place to encourage trails.” Said Winifred Chan, Marketing Director, Bausch & Lomb China 

"We are delighted to have the continuous support from B&L on this exciting project. Although branded content is still a relatively new form of advertising medium in China, it is getting increasingly popular amongst leading consumer brands" Said Mateo Eaton, Partner Invention, Mindshare

The program's first season has been a huge ratings success: the show ranked number one in its time-slot across 30 markets (all channels) every single day during its broadcast. In all, the series will run for five seasons until spring 2010.