A £20 million advertising campaign launched today to promote Sky television's latest innovation is expected to generate new business for a Bradford firm.

Sky is investing in its biggest promotion for five years to boost take-up of its Sky Plus personal video service which uses set-top boxes exclusively made by Saltaire-based Pace Microtechnology.

The firm is keen to boost take-up of the technology, which allows subscribers to pause and rewind live television, after a slow level of interest in the product so far.

Tonight, a new series of adverts featuring celebrities such as Kelly Brook, Bruce Forsyth, Ronnie Corbett and Alice Cooper, is to be screened for the first time on terrestrial television.

It is the first time Sky has attempted to lure customers from outside its existing subscriber base to the new technology, the latest interactive innovation which is being hailed as a television revolution.

And - if it takes off - it could spell good news for Pace, the only manufacturer of the hi-tech set-top boxes.

BSkyB sales and marketing director Jon Florsheim said: "Sky Plus is a fantastic product that transforms television viewing."

A spokesman for Pace said the firm hoped the campaign would generate new interest in Sky Plus.

"Pace is delighted that BSkyB is launching a £20m promotional campaign to support sales of Sky Plus, the personal video recorder developed by Pace in Saltaire," he said. "The campaign will help viewers understand what a fantastic product Sky Plus is and how it can transform their viewing."

The Sky Plus digibox and video recorder costs £199 and enables viewers to automatically record episodes of their favourite series, record without video tapes and record radio channels.