Wickes and Bauer Media are this year celebrating ten years of working together with a brand-new booking that comprises activity across Bauer’s radio and magazine brands Absolute Radio, Planet Rock, KISS, Kerrang!, heat radio and Grazia. Brokered by Carat and The Story Lab, the new 18-month deal which starts this month and lasts till December 2022 marks the longest booking the home improvement business has made with Bauer. With Wickes first partnering with Absolute Radio a decade ago, what started as a straight-forward radio sponsorship has developed into a multi-media partnership and one of the longest-standing audio campaigns in the UK.

To celebrate the milestone, Absolute Radio will lead the festivities with a week-long ‘Wickes Fix’ promotional event that will invite listeners on-air to play a variety of games to win Wickes gift cards. This will range from trivia to guessing the tools from their sound – all of which are fan-favourite games that have featured on the show within the past decade and are returning in a true Gameshow Marathon style.

As part of the deal, Wickes will also extend its sponsorship of The Dave Berry Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio and sponsor Planet Rock Breakfast, with promos and live-reads on heat radio, Kerrang! and KISSTORY. In addition, activity will continue in Grazia, advertising the best home improvement tips and products in print, digital and on social media.

The new booking follows a record year of Wickes partnering with Bauer Media, with the partnership delivering outstanding results despite the pandemic. According to a Carat Post-Campaign Study*, 69% of audiences felt a positive association with Wickes due to the partnership, leading to 33% of audiences making a Wickes purchase within six months of when the research was conducted.

Simon Kilby, Managing Director, Bauer Media Advertising, said “At Bauer we have what we call a ‘treat each year like a first date as opposed to a marriage’ approach when working with Wickes, meaning that we go into every year with completely fresh ideas and creative, partnering Wickes with our radio and magazine brands that will best connect it with its target audiences. It’s been amazing to see how this partnership started with Absolute Radio a decade ago and has now expanded to KISS, Kerrang!, Planet Rock, Grazia and more.”

Shelley Allison, Wickes Head of Marketing, added: “Bauer Media is constantly held up in our business as our most successful partnership, helping us to not only convey business-critical messaging but showcase our values in the most creative ways. Some of my favourite campaigns have included the Dave Berry Paint we created and working with Absolute Radio 40s for VE Day. It’s been an incredible ten years, here’s to ten more!”

Rachel Gibbs-McNeil, Managing Partner, The Story Lab, said: “Having been a part of the inception, it's amazing to have witnessed the trajectory the partnership has taken, from a singular show sponsorship to the multi-faceted campaign it is today. The fact that it continues to flourish and achieve results is a testament to the collaboration from everyone to keep this partnership fresh and alive. It demonstrates the power of long term sponsorships and their ability to drive a connection with audiences and brands. I look forward to seeing what the future holds!”

*The study comprised quantitative research with 5 key focus groups of males aged 25-64 in November 2020.