Low-cost grocery retailer Lidl has signed a three-year product-placement deal with RTÉ that will see a Lidl store appear as part of the Fair City set.
On-set construction of Lidl Carrigstown at RTÉ studios in Donnybrook is under way, with the first episode including the new supermarket retailer due to air in early summer.
The shop has been designed by Lidl in collaboration with RTÉ.
It will also include key store features such as a modern welfare area for employees, a Deposit Return Machine and an in-store bakery.
Characters will interact with the new Lidl Carrigstown store manager Renee, and the store will incorporate Lidl's in-store activity and wider sponsorships, including with Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association and with Lidl's charity partner Family Carers Ireland.
Fair City has over 600,000 weekly viewers, with a further 100,000 viewers streaming the show every week via the RTÉ Player.
The soap, which first debuted on RTÉ in September 1989, is Ireland’s longest running drama series.
Although no value for the deal has been disclosed, RTÉ Commercial Director Gavin Deans said it is the largest broadcast product placement in Ireland.
He added that the partnership is "a prime example of how a commercial partnership can seamlessly integrate an iconic retailer Lidl and Ireland’s favourite soap Fair City together. We’re looking forward to seeing Lidl become part of daily life in Carrigstown".
