EE and ITV unveil latest store opening on the cobbles of Coronation Street, in new partnership

EE and ITV unveil latest store opening on the cobbles of Coronation Street, in new partnership 

16th September 2021 - ITV and EE today announce a new product placement partnership, with plans unveiled for EE's latest store opening on one of the most famous streets in the UK, Coronation Street. EE is set to become the connectivity partner of Weatherfield, which will also see EE employees and shopping bags integrated into episodes of the iconic British soap.

The shop facade will initially be hidden behind an EE branded hoarding from 20th September as the new shopfront is fitted out, with the EE store front unveiled later this year. The Weatherfield store joins over 550 EE stores offering customers with the very best face-to-face service and support. 

Mark Trinder, Director of Commercial Sales and Partnerships, ITV said: “The shopfronts in Coronation Street are the pinnacle of Product Placement on British TV and I’m thrilled to have EE’s newest retail store on the cobbles. While we can’t see the full shopfront on-screen just yet, the team are working hard to build it for the ‘opening’ later this year.”

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE said: “Our retail stores are recognisable on high streets and in communities across the country, offering personal, local service and the best possible customer experience. In fact, 95 per cent of the population is within a 20-minute drive of an EE store. So, it’s with great pleasure that we announce our latest store opening, this time at the heart of one of the most iconic communities on TV – Coronation Street."

First broadcast in 1960, Coronation Street is the longest-running soap on British TV and the most watched soap in the country. Product placement (PP) 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 PP agreements across the ITV schedule, launching the biggest ever PP in the soap in 2018. 

Laura Wade, VP, EMEA Content and Innovation at Essence said: “We’re proud to have negotiated and managed this deal for these two iconic British brands – bringing a recognisable high street EE store to our favourite street.”

EE’s relationship with Coronation Street in the UK goes back to the network’s launch ad spot, which saw Kevin Bacon name check the Rover’s Return and it’s regular, Ken Barlow in 2011. Essence negotiated and manage the deal on behalf of EE.

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Notes to Editor

About EE
EE runs the UK's biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012, and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.

EE has received extensive independent recognition, including being named the UK’s no.1 5G network by RootMetrics® in 2020 and being named the UK's best network every year since 2014 for the following awards: The Mobile Choice Awards, The Mobile Industry Awards and by RootMetrics®.

As well as offering mobile services to consumers and small and medium businesses, EE also provides home and business broadband using both 4G and fixed line connections.

EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry, and has nearly 600 shops across the UK. EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards.

EE is part of BT’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.