• by Emily Burg , May 15, 2007

The main character in USA Networks' new series "The Starter Wife" seeks to redefine herself and change her life after her Hollywood mogul husband dumps her. To promote the series, USA Networks has teamed up with a host of lifestyle partners to sponsor contests, sweepstakes and marketing campaigns that seek to get viewers excited about the six-hour series and give them opportunities to make some changes in their lives, too.

Unilever's Pond's is a presenting sponsor of "The Starter Wife," which debuts May 31. In addition to the "presented by" designation under the show's title, its sponsorship includes product and brand integration, as well as the Pond's 40 and Fabulous contest targeting 40-something women that ran from February through mid-March. Winners of that contest will have their life stories and beauty secrets aired during "The Starter Wife."

Pond's began a separate watch-and-win promotion this month in which specially marked product packages will contain winning game codes that will be revealed during the show. Called the Dazzling Diamonds sweepstakes, the featured prize is a right-hand diamond ring, which is advertised prominently on a banner ad at the top of and at the bottom right of the show's Web site at usanetworks.com.

Interactivity is a big part of the marketing and promotions, with USA Networks partnering with Alloy Media + Marketing's "Insiders" program to create nationwide viewing parties at which women can pre-screen the first installment of the series. The national "Trendsetter Screenings" will tap into Alloy's database of 18- to-49-year-old influential women, offering viewers a chance to create an ultimate girls' night in their own homes that hopefully will generate positive buzz around the show.

Three hundred women and five each of their friends will gather to watch the first episode of "The Starter Wife," and hosts will be sent party packages to share with their guests, Samantha Skey, executive vice president/Strategic Marketing, Alloy Media + Marketing, explained to Marketing Daily. After, they'll be asked to provide feedback to USA Networks about the show, as well as be entered into a sweepstakes to win a pink Buddy Scooter by sharing photos of their viewing parties.

Alloy and USA Network have worked together previously on the launch of USA Network's "Characters Welcome" campaign, Skey said, and found that on that campaign, as in its campaign for "The Starter Wife," the network has been "really aggressive in employing non-traditional buzz type-tactics to drive viewership around the launch of new programs so new viewers can really touch and feel the new shows."

"It's paying off very effectively, and they've done a great job with 'The Starter Wife' and of differentiating it through the marketing," Skey said.

There's also a cause marketing component to the campaign, Skey said, in which USA Network and NBC Universal's iVillage partnered to designate May as "Re-start Month" and are making donations to the Dress for Success, a non-profit that helps low-income women in their career efforts.