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Take to the skies with in 3D

Take to the skies without having to move from your sofa with Britain & Ireland from the Sky 3D, airing on Sky 3D (channel 217). While viewers soar high above the landscape of the British and ‘Emerald’ Isles, iconic British and Irish personalities including James Nesbitt, Alison Steadman, Ashley Jensen, and Michael Sheen narrate, sharing their own personal stories about places featured in the show. Other narrators include Frank Carson, Roger McGough, and Stuart Hall and British Soldier Ben McBean who lost an arm and a leg in Afghanistan.

In the eight-part series, produced by Bigger Pictures for Sky 3D, for the first time in 3D viewers will fly between five and 5000 feet above the ground, taking in breath-taking views. The show takes viewers on a unique birds-eye view experience, tracking over the constantly changing landscape, hovering above incredible monuments, spying on historic cities, and surveying the population, allowing the audience to glimpse their homeland as they have never seen it before.

Each episode is packed with diverse sequences with stories that evoke the past, inspire affection for the beauty of British and Irish landscapes, or stir the emotions. Whispering into viewers’ ears are familiar voices, providing a personal and emotional insight into the places we see, giving us a fresh perspective, or entertaining insight on the landscape and its inhabitants.

The show was shot across the seasons and captures not only the magnificence of London and other major cities, but extends right to the very edges of Britain and Ireland including Cornwall, Ben Bulben (Ireland), Rathlin Island (Northern Ireland), Portmeirion (Wales) and Loch Alsh (Scotland).

John Cassy, Sky 3D’s Channel Director says: “From the moment Britain and Ireland from The sky 3D starts, the breathtaking bird’s-eye views capture your attention. For the first time 3D viewers can see the landscapes of these beautiful islands from a unique aerial perspective, and learn of previously untold personal stories from stars such as James Nesbitt and Alison Steadman in this brand new eight-part series.”

Britain and Ireland from the sky will be screened on Sky 3D from 22:00.

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Thomson staff star in new 'Built with you in mind' advert

When you think of Pinewood Studios, the names of James Bond, Harry Potter and Obi Wan Kenobi may well spring to mind. Well, from December 17 2009, you can add a lucky group of Thomson holidays staff from all over the business to that list! Colleagues from departments including retail, overseas, airline and customer services spent three days at the world renowned film studio filming Thomson’s all-new ‘Built With You In Mind’ TV commercial after being nominated for the great customer service they provide.

In a similar vein to last year’s award winning ‘Beach Day’ and ‘Night-time’ TV commercials, Thomson’s new ad uses the backdrop of Thomson’s Sensatori resort concept to tell the story of staff busily attending to the finer details and personal touches of people’s holidays, showing how Thomson staff go to extraordinary lengths to create the perfect experience for people to enjoy when travelling with the holiday company.

The difference this time round is that the majority of the staff seen in the ad are real staff who’ve been recognised by their colleagues for the care and attention they give to our customers.

“For the advert, we asked every line manager in each department to recommend a member of staff they felt had delivered outstanding customer service,” said Rebecca Edwards, Senior Marketing Manager, Thomson. “From the hundreds of nominations that were received, a shortlist was drawn up of those employees who had gone the extra mile to feature in the TV advert.“

A total of eight Thomson employees from across the country will feature in the new ad. These are: Katie Windsor, a Cabin Crew Ambassador from Yorkshire; Mary Beth Johnson, a Retail agent from Newcastle; Donna Wells, Customer Services, Northants; Alison Porter, Cabin Crew Customer Experience Manager, Glasgow; Gemma Bowe, Agent Support Team Leader, Coventry; Charlotte Leany, Assistant Manager Retail, Chelmsford; Lindsay Baldry, Customer Services, Luton; and Delia Read, Cabin Crew Customer Experience Manager, Lincolnshire.

Concludes Rebecca: “Whilst we couldn’t feature everyone, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to highlight how our colleagues across the business do their utmost to ensure that our customers enjoy the very best of holidays.”

In addition to the thrilling experience of filming at one of the world’s most famous movie studios, the cast’s magical experience also saw them meet Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the Harry Potter cast, who were filming Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM next door.

The TV advertising campaign, created by Thomson in collaboration with creative agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay, centres on Thomson’s exclusive ‘Sensatori’ holidays; which are designed around sensory luxury and are the benchmark for the Thomson holiday experience. There are three Sensatori resorts (Crete, Mexico and new from next summer Tenerife) each with a unique appeal. The final images of the commercial were filmed over two days on location at the Gran Melia Palacio di Isora, which will become Sensatori, Tenerife from Summer 2010. The advert specifically dramatises the astonishing infinity pool, one of Europe’s longest, available at Thomson Sensatori Tenerife.

Thomson’s new TV commercial is set to air across terrestrial and satellite channels throughout the Festive period, with a 40" spot premiering on December 17 during Five News at 5.45 pm. The ad will air in this form across a variety of channels, including network spots during Coronation Street on Christmas Eve, as well as exposure during the network premier of ‘Happy Feet’ and the all new episode of ‘Poirot’ on Christmas Day. Satellite highlights include ITV2’s Xtra Factor on Christmas Day, Sky 1’s Noel’s Christmas Presents on December 21 and Channel 4’s ‘The Noughties: Review of the Decade’ on New Year’s Eve.

Editors' Notes
The Television advert used:

A pick and mix sand machine especially made for the advert
A real life size Jacuzzi
16 hand made snowflakes
Additional Extras including the man who played Mr Muscle and Jabba the Hutt’s accountant in Star Wars!
3 large boxes of sand and a sand castle
A 150m x 100m stage in Pinewood studios