Unilever in global media sponsorship of new 20th Century Fox TV drama series Touch, starring Kiefer Sutherland

Touch, the intriguing new drama series from Tim Kring (Heroes) and starring Kiefer Sutherland in his first television project since the Emmy-winning 24, will receive an unprecedented global launch for its March series premiere that includes coordinated worldwide distribution, marketing and advertising sponsorship.

Unilever has partnered with the series to be its global sponsor in a first-of-its-kind worldwide collaboration. The key elements of Unilever's unprecedented marketing partnership include a media buy that covers Europe, Asia, Latin America as well as the U.S.; sponsorship of the Touch international media tour and worldwide premiere in New York City on March 18th; and exclusive online content presented by Unilever brands around the world.

"Unilever is thrilled to be part of this inaugural global media sponsorship with News Corp.", said Luis Di-Como, Unilever's Senior Vice President of Global Media. "It's the very type of sponsorship that enables us to connect and engage consumers with one of our billion-euro global brands - Rexona, Degree in the U.S. and Sure in the UK - with one culturally relevant content platform."

"Our global Unilever partnership goes far beyond the scope of anything we've ever done", said Jean Rossi, President of FOX One, News Corp's integrated sales and marketing division, which worked with Unilever for more than a year to create the worldwide partnership. "Before moving forward, it was imperative that we find a property that conveyed our mutual strategic vision, and Touch has the positive message and global appeal that articulates that spirit".

Blending science, spirituality and emotion, Touch will follow seemingly unrelated people all over the world whose lives affect each other in ways seen and unseen, known and unknown. At the story's centre is Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, Jake (David Mazouz).

But everything changes after Martin learns that Jake possesses an extraordinary gift - the ability to perceive the seemingly hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet. Martin soon realizes that it's his job to decipher the numbers his son is obsessed with and recognize their meaning. As he puts the pieces together, he will help people across the world connect as their lives intersect according to the patterns Jake has foreseen, and his simple quest to connect with his son will shape humanity's destiny.