Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is making its
television debut as the founding corporate underwriter of "Amanpour &
Company," a nightly PBS series featuring CNN chief international correspondent
Christiane Amanpour.
"Amanpour & Company," co-produced by CNN
International and WNET, will debut nationwide in July. The program replaces Charlie Rose's syndicated show.
Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge said the new TV ads are a "bold,
new direction" for Uniworld to increase brand awareness among PBS viewers.
Bettridge also intends for the ads to strengthen the brand's partnership with travel
agents.
Christiane Amanpour
The ads will feature "beautiful imagery" and a
call to action to contact travel agents to book a cruise, said Bettridge. "With
ships on 23 rivers in 24 countries worldwide, their expertise is essential in
matching the right itinerary to the right guest," she said.
She noted that Uniworld chose to make its television debut
on PBS because its guests are aligned with the "curious, well-educated and
affluent" PBS audience.
Uniworld's sponsorship of the nightly PBS series follows a
growing list of river cruise lines that have inked sponsorship deals with PBS.
This year, AmaWaterways committed to a two-year sponsorship of the public
television show "Places to Love," hosted by travel expert Samantha
Brown.
River cruise lines Scenic, American Cruise Lines, and Viking
also have partnered with various PBS shows for increased exposure.