A leading automaker has cut a deal with a major TV network to sponsor and appear in new mini-episodes of a popular TV show that will be broadcast on cell phones. The deal is between Toyota Motor
Corp., and the Fox TV network for the program "Prison Break," and is part of a growing trend among major marketers to deliver an advertiser's commercial message to consumers via mobile communications
devices. The plan is to produce two-minute episodes that will start with a 10-second marketing message created showcasing the Yaris, Toyota's new subcompact sedan. It's the first time ads have been
incorporated into this type of content, says Jean Rossi, Fox's executive vice president of sales. "Our advertising clients want to be everywhere their customers are," she says. Toyota says it pursued
the mobile series as a way to break free from the traditional 60-second TV spot and go after younger consumers. Terms of the ad pact weren't disclosed, but analysts put the deal in the ballpark of $10
million. "Toyota hasn't really been on the radar screen for many young people, so it was really important to do something to get their attention," says Jim Farley, vice president of Toyota marketing.
The campaign is part of Toyota's bid to shed some of its utilitarian image and embed more personality into its cars. The marketing partnership between Toyota and Fox also includes a Toyota-branded
"Prison Break" microsite within Fox.com that will offer unique content tied to the series.
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