Bell Media Teams Up With Walt Disney Studios Canada to Take Canadians to a Galaxy Far, Far Away in Exclusive Media Collaboration for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens

TORONTO (December 16, 2015) – Bell Media has launched a multi-faceted collaboration with Walt Disney Studios Canada for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens to deliver a massive, targeted, promotional campaign to support the premiere of the new feature film. Launched Nov. 9 and continuing through to the film’s worldwide theatrical release on Dec. 18, the campaign is running across Bell Media’s conventional and specialty television properties and radio platforms and also features ultimate fan experiences, exclusive interviews, and dedicated entertainment coverage surrounding the release of the highly anticipated film event. Disney’s collaboration with Bell Media complements an extensive new national Bell marketing campaign that creatively pairs Star Wars: The Force Awakens with Bell Mobility and Bell Residential Services advertising across TV, print, social media, out-of-home, and retail store platforms. Running until January, the campaign features Star Wars characters, starships and space imagery that will resonate with fans of all ages. “We have put together the biggest, most far-reaching campaign of the year for the biggest movie of the decade,” said Perry MacDonald, Senior Vice-President, English Television and Local Sales. “The deal delivers an astronomical number of impressions as well as exclusive original content that engages and connects fans with one of the most enduring brands of our time.” “The highly anticipated seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise is a tremendous opportunity for Bell and Disney to work together,” said Rick Seifeddine, Bell’s Senior VP, Brand. “With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens coming during the busiest shopping period of the year, pairing the exciting new offerings from Canada’s most innovative communications company with the year’s biggest blockbuster release was a natural.” Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Bell Media Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens campaign features both 15 and 30-second television ads airing in high rotation across Bell Media English and French channels including CTV and CTV Two, TSN, Discovery, SPACE, Comedy, Much, Vrak, Z, Musique Plus, Télétoon, Canal D, and Canal Vie. The ads are running in some of Canada’s most-watched programming along with Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leaf games on TSN, and more. Also featured in the campaign are radio spots on Bell Media stations in key cities across the country. The campaign features Star Wars-focused content created specially by Bell Media’s In-House Production team as Bell Media counts down to the film’s premiere. Included are exclusive interviews on ETALK and INNERSPACE. Other specially created and curated programming has aired across many of Bell Media’s flagship properties including THE SOCIAL, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, DAILY PLANET, and Much Digital Studios. See full details below. In Toronto, the ultimate fan experience Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Toronto Exhibit, has been drawing fans to the Bell Media Campus at 277 Queen St. W. The movie-themed exhibit, running until Dec. 21, is currently the only place in North America where fans have the exclusive opportunity to take photos with life-size statues of the film’s characters including Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, Rey, BB-8, and a stormtrooper, as well as two limited edition exclusive t-shirts that are available for purchase. Special guests, themed days, activities and giveaways will be revealed via social media over the duration of the exhibit and fans are encouraged to follow Walt Disney Studios Canada on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #TheForceAwakensTO for the latest news and details. Elements of Bell Media’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens editorial support included: CTV

• ETALK aired daily interview segments with the stars of the film from Hollywood 7-11.
• THE SOCIAL welcomed Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), who sat down with co-hosts Melissa Grelo, Cynthia Loyst, Lainey Lui, and Traci Melchor and discussed reprising his role as the iconic android in Star Wars: The Force Awakens on an episode that aired 11.
• ETALK’s own Ben Mulroney hosted a special Q&A for fans at Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Toronto Exhibit with Anthony Daniels (C-3P0) on Dec. 11.
• During an episode of THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW’s fifth annual “10 Days of Giveaways” this month, audience members were gifted with surprise Star Wars^® Bladebuilders Jedi Master Lightsabers, as part of Marilyn’s gift guide for kids that originally aired on Dec. 14.

SPACE

• C-3P0 himself, played by Anthony Daniels, talked with the INNERSPACE hosts from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Toronto Exhibit about the much-anticipated film on 11.
• Fans headed down to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Toronto Exhibit for a meet and greet with INNERSPACE hosts Ajay Fry, Morgan Hoffman, and Teddy Wilson on 12.
• INNERSPACE delivers a new half-hour special about the iconic franchise tomorrow on the film’s premiere date – 18 at 6 p.m. ET with INNERSPACE PRESENTS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. The special features interviews with the cast, a look at the most impressive Star Wars collections from around the world, an in-depth chat with the developers of the epic video game Star Wars: Battlefront, and theories from the INNERSPACE hosts on what viewers can expect to see in the epic new chapter of Star Wars.

Discovery

• DAILY PLANET featured a special five-part salute to the highly anticipated release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens from 7-11, including incredible inventions by ultimate Star Wars enthusiasts.

MUCH Digital Studios

• The force is in full swing as Much Digital Studios creators Matt O’Brien, Rerez, and SidePonyNation provide an inside look at the Star Wars exhibit, and vlog their experience for their fans. 

Bell’s Star Wars marketing campaign With a focus on excitement, technology and innovation, the iconic Star Wars imagery blends perfectly into Bell’s brand platform to promote a range of Bell consumer services such as Fibe TV, including the exclusive Restart feature that lets customers restart shows already in progress or up to 30 hours after they’ve started; Gigabit Fibe Internet, offering the fastest Internet speeds available in Canada; and Bell Mobility’s industry-leading LTE network and lineup of smartphones and tablets. Exclusive R2-D2 and BB-8 pins are also available at Bell stores for $3.99 each. Bell’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens campaign includes themed store windows and interior décor, out-of-home advertising including billboards, transit shelter posters and subway wraps, online ads, original TV and radio spots, cinema trailers, promoted social media and more. To see Bell’s new Star Wars campaign, please visit Bell.ca, check out the TV ads on Bell’s YouTube channel or drop into a Bell store.