New coffee shop and supermarket to launch in Coronation Street

Watch out Newton and Ridley, there’s some big brand competition arriving in Weatherfield.

“The expansion of the Coronation Street set has given us a great opportunity to feature branded shop facades as more of Weatherfield is opened up to viewers. Incorporating product placement on this scale is something we have wanted to do for some time and we’re delighted with this exciting opportunity.  We’ve worked really closely with the Coronation Street team to make sure we’ve got a great brand fit for Co-op and Costa Coffee with the nation’s favourite soap while still ensuring editorial integrity.” – Mark Trinder, Sales Director, ITV

ITV  has announced that it has agreed two significant new partnerships with a beverage outlet and supermarket for Coronation Street. In an ITV first, viewers will see Costa Coffee and Co-op storefronts as part of a new extended Weatherfield set. Both facades will be fully branded and open for business in Spring 2018 with other assets such as posters, bags and cups integrated across the ITV Granada produced soap.

The new agreements also include digital and brand-licensing aspects for both brands, enabling them to use Corrie assets and extend the partnership off-air. Product placement, which is symbolised on-screen with the PP logo at the start of programmes containing items, was introduced in the UK in 2011 and ITV led the way with the very first PP on British screens. In the same year the first peak time product placement was introduced in Coronation Street and since then ITV has brought together brands and programmes with agreements across the ITV schedule.

Before the Ofcom changes to product placement serials often created their own brands for products and companies. Notably in the 1960s and 70s if a real product was used on-screen the ‘offending’ branding would be covered over with some discreet – and often not so discreet – covering. This exception was relaxed by Granada in the 1980s when Alf’s Mini Mart was revamped, with several well-known brands displaced across the store in product form and even posters. Of course, at that time no money changed hands, it was all part of the serial trying to become more realistic in the settings.