Introduction

It was a carpet, a flying carpet to be exact, that made Wilton Carpet Factory a fitting sponsor for a production of Aladdin at Salisbury Playhouse. Not only did a Wilton Carpet provide an active function for the pantomime, a number of activities away from the theatre also led to further exposure for the sponsor. Several weeks prior there were arts-, crafts-and theatre-linked activities staged in Salisbury Shopping Village and a carpet design competition was activated through local schools and media. The sponsorship fee was £3000 and included the sponsor’s name and logo printed in theatre brochures and flyers but Wilton also worked hard to achieve local radio and newspaper coverage too (Arts and Business, 2006). They considered their return to be significantly more than what they might have achieved with £3000 worth of local advertising.