• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 10, 2010

Two of the nation's leading digital out-of-home video networks serving gas stations unveiled new marketing campaigns this week. Gas Station TV signed a branding deal with Pepsi, while PumpTop TV is promoting ExerciseTV with short-form fitness content -- surely a first for gas station media. 

Gas Station TV and PepsiCo announced a multiyear deal to promote Pepsi and other PepsiCo drinks, including AMP Energy, AMP Energy Juice and Brisk, via GSTV's network of digital displays in gas pumps.

While it is a general branding campaign, the GSTV program takes advantage of the proximity to point of sale at gas station convenience stores.

Earlier this year, GSTV produced a special video spot for Pepsi's Refresh Project, which will raise $20 million to fund ideas proposed by people for charitable causes. GSTV scripted and designed the custom-produced ad for contextual relevance in gas station venues. The campaign is coordinated with other media platforms, including NBCU, YouTube, Hulu and MTV Networks.

In August 2009, the network struck a deal making NBC Universal its exclusive entertainment content provider, through the latter's cross-platform division, NBC Everywhere. The NBCU content and advertising appear in four-and-a-half-minute cycles, combining local and national NBCU news, prime time, late night and cable content. The deal also made NBC the local sales agent for GSTV, leveraging its local station sales forces.

GSTV has also made a number of moves to expand its distribution. In March, Sunoco Inc. selected GSTV as the exclusive provider of digital video displays showing news, entertainment and advertising.

Before the Sunoco addition, GSTV's network covered more than 100 DMAs, also including Los Angeles and Chicago, reaching over 30 million viewers per month via displays in pumps at 1,000 gas stations. Sunoco venues include 4,700 locations, although the companies didn't reveal how many will get displays.

Separately, PumpTop TV announced a new marketing partnership with ExerciseTV, a digital fitness network that provides fitness videos, workout plans and exercise tips.

The partnership will promote ExerciseTV's various content offerings -- including its cable video on demand channel, DVDs, iPhone appsand online presence -- with 30-second exercise videos. As part of the push, ExerciseTV created 10 pieces of custom content for PumpTop TV, all of which are available for download at www.exercisetv.tv/pump.

In June 2009, PumpTop TV joined forces with Outcast to create a combined network of 12,600 screens at service stations and convenience stores around the United States, including 15 top DMAs.