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MONEYSUPERMARKET ANNOUNCES CHARITY OF THE YEAR 2012

Our local community is very important to us and as a result we actively support numerous charities in the local area, having one main sponsored charity each year. All of our team get the chance to vote on our charity of the year and we strive each year to offer them support both through our fundraising efforts and our hands on approach to helping out.

But that's not all - Moneysupermarket.com matches all of the funds we raise and the result can make a huge difference to our charity of the year.

We are pleaed to announce our charity of the year for 2012 is Alzheimer’s Society.

Alzheimer’s Society is the leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers. There are currently 750,000 people living with dementia in the UK, yet dementia still remains in the shadows. With this figure set to rise to over 1 million people by 2021, it has never been more important for the work of the Alzheimer’s Society to take place.

Alzheimer's Society has a network of 260 service centres across the UK offering over 2,000 services. They are dedicated to the care and research of dementia and they:

Provide direct support for people with dementia and their carers through our national & local services

Give information and education to people with dementia, carers, health care professionals

Raise awareness of dementia to remove the stigma still attached to it

Campaign for the rights and welfare of people with dementia and carers

Invest in research into the cause, cure, prevention and care of dementia.

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CHESTER DRAGON BOAT RACE

On 12^th June 2011, a number of Moneysupermarket employees braved the cold and wet to compete in the annual Chester Dragon Boat race and raise money for Wales Air Ambulance. Moneysupermarket entered 2 teams - Moneysuper Dragons and Dragon Supermarket, with each team consisting of 16 rowers and a drummer.

The event took place on one of the wettest days of the year so far and was a great challenge for all employees involved. Each team took part in three qualifying heats against another team and the fastest time of all three heats was taken for a chance to compete in the final.

At first the Moneysuper Dragons seemed to have the edge, winning their first heat. Dragon Supermarket, on the other hand, struggled to get a good rhythm going in the first heat. Both teams won their second heat with Dragon Supermarket achieving a great time which put them in the top 3 teams of the whole event.

The third qualifying heat saw both Moneysupermarket teams compete against each other. Paddling down to the start line there was plenty of banter between the teams both desperate to win the Moneysupermarket Dragon Boat title. The race was close but Dragon Supermarket pulled away on the second half of the course and were victorious.

With all the heats completed, the Moneysuper Dragons were unfortunately out of the competition but Dragon Supermarket made it to the final. There were four teams in the final, one of which was the Royal Navy. This was the toughest challenge yet for the Dragon Supermarket team. By this point the team were very wet and cold but were determined deliver their best performance in the final. The team got into a great rhythm from the start and were in a great position for the entire race. The race was one of the closest in Chester Dragon Boat history and was a photo finish. Dragon Supermarket finished in second place with a time of 1.23.83; what's more they beat the navy by 0.4 of a second!

All the Moneysupermarket employees who took part helped raise an amazing £3,600 for Wales Air Ambulance.

YOU’RE SO MONEYSUPERMARKET

Britain's number one price comparison site, moneysupermarket.com will launch its new advertising campaign on Sunday 3^rd July.

In the first campaign for the company by award-winning agency, Mother, moneysupermarket.com is aiming to stand out from the rest of the price comparison crowd, amplifying the emotional benefit of using the site. The campaign focuses on celebrating the euphoria that can come from saving money - especially now at a time when thrift is king.

The first advertisement in the new campaign focuses on an ordinary British family man, Geoff, who has used moneysupermarket.com to save money on his car insurance. Buoyed by his amazing ability to save, Geoff is on top of the world - he feels invincible, he's walking tall, he can take on the most incredible of challenges. As his family get settled on the sand, and the pro surfers stand on the shore surveying the massive waves, Geoff takes to the mammoth swell - not on a surfboard - but on his inflatable crocodile. Girls gasp and surfers stare with jealousy as Geoff hangs ten on his croc. He's incredible, he's amazing, in short, Geoff really is ‘so moneysupermarket'.

The new ad was directed by Speck Gordon, the directing duo who made the Will Ferrell movie, ‘Blades of Glory'. Shot in an epic ‘big screen' style, it features the hit song ‘Wipe Out' by the Surfaris as the track accompanies Geoff on his surfing adventure.

The ad was shot in California and 12 inflatable plastic crocodiles were harmed during the filming of the ad, as surfboards and special effects were ditched for realism and a stuntman surfed an inflatable crocodile in a Californian wave pool.

Speaking about the new campaign, moneysupermarket.com's Marketing Director David Osborne, said: "As Britain's favourite comparison site, we need to make sure we are always driving the category forward and building on our market-leading position. This campaign is a fresh approach, and I'm confident it will really help us to continue to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

"It's a perfect time to launch this new campaign. At a time when many people are finding it hard to make ends meet, it really can feel fantastic to save money. We wanted to dramatise that feeling to give all of those people who use moneysupermarket.com to save a big pat on the back and encourage even more people to get that buzz with us as well."

Chris Gallery, strategist at Mother said: "The brands in this category are the biggest advertisers on TV. Their ads are loved, loathed and remembered by everyone. moneysupermarket.com is the biggest of all the price comparison websites and wanted advertising that is bigger, better and bolder than before, a challenge we couldn't resist. Our campaign is about how great it feels to make a saving, to feel like you are king of the world for a moment...and the epic consequences of that feeling..."

MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM IS SPELBOUND BY BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT SPONSORSHIP

Spelbound, the winning act from Britain's Got Talent in 2010, has been exclusively signed to work with moneysupermarket.com on its sponsorship of the hit TV programme.

As announced in January, moneysupermarket.com is the fully integrated sponsor of Britain's Got Talent which returns to ITV next month (April). moneysupermarket.com's sponsorship of one of the UK's most popular entertainment shows is the first major sponsorship for the company, the UK's market-leading, and most popular, comparison site.

Spelbound, the troupe of 13 gymnasts from Middlesex who shot to fame after winning the fourth series with their breathtaking performances, will help further promote the sponsorship and the theme of "a talent for saving you money". The gymnasts will feature on air during the fifth series of the programme in the moneysupermarket.com idents, which will appear at the beginning and end of each segment of the programme. They will be seen constructing difficult and complex shapes which depict some of the products moneysupermarket.com compares, such as recreating a house (home insurance), a car (motor insurance) and a light bulb (energy).

As part of the partnership, Spelbound will also be supporting moneysupermarket.com through PR and social media activities. There will be a special microsite for moneysupermarket.com's Britain's Got Talent sponsorship where fans can get access to behind the scenes clips from the Spelbound idents, sign up to a blog feed on the show, and enter a draw for the chance to win tickets to the live shows. The microsite can be found at http://www.moneysupermarket.com/britainsgottalent/. Fans can also follow moneysupermarket.com's Twitter feed @moneysupermkt and Facebook page (find us at http://www.facebook.com/moneysupermarket).

David Osborne, marketing director at moneysupermarket.com, said: "We're very excited to be working with Spelbound as part of our sponsorship of Britain's Got Talent. Their gravity-defying routines are breath-taking and always leave people wanting more. We think their infectious enthusiasm and talent will provide us with a great platform to further build our brand awareness and market-leading position as well as entertaining the British public. Everyone should be on the lookout for some of Spelbound's signature moves, including the now world-famous human skipping rope!

"moneysupermarket.com is Britain's number one comparison website with over 120 million visitors a year, and sponsoring Britain's Got Talent, provides us with the ideal opportunity to bring to life what we offer consumers. As well as comparing car insurance, visitors to moneysupermarket.com can save money on a range of financial products including mortgages, credit cards, energy and broadband. Britain's Got Talent and our partnership with Spelbound will provide the perfect opportunity for us to get the message out far and wide."

Neil Griffiths, Spelbound's coach commented: "We've had a whirlwind year since winning the competition in 2010, we've released a DVD, won several gold medals for Great Britain in our sport, and performed for royalty, so working with moneysupermarket.com on the fifth series of Britain's Got Talent is another winning combination for us. Spelbound have been working really hard on new routines for the idents to make them as spectacular and exciting as possible. We can't wait for them to be aired now and the new series to start."

The sponsorship deal, which was agreed with ITV, FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) and Syco TV, includes broadcast sponsorship of all Britain's Got Talent programming, online sponsorship of the official Britain's Got Talent website, interactive, mobile and off-air licensing. The TV and online campaign has been created by advertising agency Dare. The official Britain's Got Talent website, www.itv.com/talent, will be produced by talkbackTHAMES digital with ITV.

The 2011 series will feature new judges Michael McIntyre and David Hasselhoff who join Amanda Holden, and during the live stages, Simon Cowell. The show is produced by talkbackTHAMES (a FremantleMedia company) and Syco TV. In 2010, Britain's Got Talent drew an average audience of 11.4 million viewers and a 46 percent share of viewing, with a huge peak audience of 15.8 million viewers tuning in to watch Spelbound crowned winners in the final.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR FOR HELICOPTER CHARITY

Staff at high profile North Wales business, moneysupermarket.com expressed their love for the Wales Air Ambulance charity on Valentine's Day with lots of tasty treats.

Fountains with lashings of warm melted chocolate were served up for the staff, with strawberries, marshmallows and other goodies to use as dips.

The fountains proved a big hit and the staff raised £71.00 which, matched by the company is grand total of £142.00, raised in under two hours.

Wales Air Ambulance pilot, Capt. Martin Darlington even managed a flying visit to meet staff and thank them for their fundraising efforts.

The special Valentines Day event marked the beginning of a year of fundraising for the helicopter charity, when staff at the UK's number one comparison website nominated Wales Air Ambulance as its ‘Charity of the Year'.

Chloe Halsted, head fundraiser at moneysupermarket.com said: "We are proud and excited to announce Wales Air Ambulance as our ‘Charity of the Year' and everyone at moneysupermarket.com is looking forward to fundraising for such a worthy cause.

"We have a packed calendar of events and the staff will all be involved in making sure that all our efforts at fundraising are a huge success.

"The team at Wales Air Ambulance do a fantastic job and have already shown how willing they are to join forces with us and we can't wait to do our bit to help them continue the awesome work they do".

Anna Evans from Wales Air Ambulance said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been nominated as moneysupermarket.com charity of the year. The employees have already shown masses of enthusiasm and energy for the charity, which is really encouraging. I am sure we are going to have a wonderful year of partnership."

Wales Air Ambulance operates three emergency helicopters which respond to urgent 999 calls across the whole of Wales. The service, which depends entirely upon charitable donations to carry out its work, needs at least £5million a year to operate.

This year, the charity celebrates 10 years of service in Wales - an amazing achievement considering the helicopters are entirely funded by charitable donations.

"We have been saving lives in Wales for ten years now and that is thanks to the generosity of the public and companies such as moneysupermarket.com. They are vital to the ongoing success of the service we provide," Anna added

SUPERMARKET SWEEP FOR SUPERKIDS

Staff from moneysupermarket,com went wild in the aisles at the Queensferry Asda store all in aid of local cause North Wales Superkids.

Three teams of two members of staff were each given a £30 budget and challenged to fill a large shopping bag with toys. The aim of the task was to show how you can shop on a budget and just how much you can get for your money if you are a savvy spender.

The three teams did a great job scouring the shelves for toys and bargains to see if they could spend every last bit of the money but without going a single penny over.

Fantastically two of the teams were able to spend exactly £30 with the third team coming in 70p under budget. One of the teams was even on the ball enough to ask a member of staff for some discount coupons and used them to get half off the cost of a football.

Although fun was had by all involved there were also real lessons being learnt. Laura Dutton who took part in the challenge said: "It's actually very humbling to see just how much you can pick up for just £30."

Another participant Chloe Halsted said: "It's so nice to give presents at Christmas as well as receive them and it's great that everything we buy today is going to a child who may not have had a single gift without North Wales Superkids."

Last year North Wales Superkids were able to put together around 1,240 bags of toys to give out to those in the local community who otherwise wouldn't have had anything at all because of their circumstances. Each of those bags was put together on a budget of around £30.

The moneysupermarket.com staff got just a taste of the work that Senior Superkids Co-ordinator Margret Williams does every year.

Not only did the moneysupermarket.com savvy shoppers get behind the cause but the company's .community team also wanted to support this hardworking cause. The .community team were able give a donation of £1.500 to help towards paying for toys to be given out to children in local families.

Speaking of the donation, .community team member Nicki Parry said: "Hearing Margaret talk of the work that North Wales Superkids does every year really touched the hearts of the .community team at moneysupermarket.com. We are delighted to be able to give a donation of this size to a brilliant local cause that is bringing smiles to the faces of children in our area.

"We regularly give money out to local charities that contact us and were happy to work with Margaret to ensure that children who would've gone without any toys this festive season will now be getting presents to open on Christmas day."

STARSKY AND HUTCH STAR PARTNERS WITH MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM IN NEW TV AD

Comparison website moneysupermarket.com has enlisted 70s television icon, David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame, to star in its latest television advert alongside campaign front man Omid Djalili.

The start of the advert sees Soul at a car boot sale selling signed copies of his old records to raise money to insure the third star of the 70s TV show, the legendary red and white Gran Torino.

Just as Soul is set to make a sale, Djalili appears to tell him he can save money on his car insurance at www.moneysupermarket.com, a "sure fire hit" for getting a good deal. After donning an iconic 70s Starsky-style cardigan and taking a dramatic roll over the bonnet of the Gran Torino, Djalil asks: "So what do you say, partner", before linking fists with Soul as the screen is frozen in a classic Starsky and Hutch ending.

David Osborne, marketing director at moneysupermarket.com said: "Starsky and Hutch is one of the most iconic TV programmes of the late 20^th century and the Gran Torino is perhaps the most famous TV cars ever. Everyone remembers the thrill of watching Hutch in action, tearing around in the streets in the famous red car, so we're thrilled to bring it back to UK TV screens as part of our latest campaign for motor insurance."

Nigel Mansell and former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott have both featured in previous advertising campaigns for the comparison site.

The 30-second TVC will debut on Tuesday 1 March, and will be followed with 10-second versions. The campaign was produced by creative agency, Dare.

JOHN PRESCOTT PACKS A PUNCH IN NEW MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM TV AD

moneysupermarket.com (MONY), has enlisted former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, to star in its latest television advertising campaign.

It's 10 years since Prescott hit the headlines for throwing a punch during the general election campaign. But this time he's not taking on an egg-throwing farmer, but moneysupermarket.com campaign frontman, Omid Djalili.

In a tongue-in-cheek take on the former Deputy Prime Minister's famous incident, Djalili interrupts the furious Prescott who is taking out his frustration over his car insurance renewal on a punchbag to the strains of ‘Eye of the Tiger'.

Djalili points out to the worked-up Prescott that it can be an expensive business insuring two old cars when you're no longer running the country and suggests he heads online to moneysupermarket.com in order to save a fortune on his car insurance.

David Osborne, Marketing Director at moneysupermarket.com said: "It's a real coup for us to have someone as well known as John Prescott let down his guard and have some fun in this ad. We've had a fantastic customer response to our advertising since we first launched with Omid as our frontman last year.

"Since then, we evolved the campaign to include Nigel Mansell as another famous face for Omid to bounce off. Our customers really appreciate the humour in each of the advertisements and with this latest TVC, we think we'll deliver a knock-out punch and encourage even more people to save a super amount of money by using our site."

John Prescott said: "I suppose you could say this advert marks the 10^th anniversary of my so-called Thriller in the Rhyl-a."

The 30-second TVC will debut on Friday 7 January. moneysupermarket.com's creative agency, Dare, produced the campaign.