Ford's Land Rover unit has cut a deal with Rainbow Media's IFC to be the exclusive integrated sponsor of a half-hour documentary about movie location scouts. As part of the pact, Land Rover
vehicles will be heavily featured in the narrative of "Action Indies: Extraordinary Location Scouts" when the show debuts Sept. 1. This is the third time IFC has hooked up with a carmaker, following a
program with Honda last fall and a deal with Volkswagen two years to sponsor its "Escape From Hollywood" programming block.
Since launching in-house sponsorship division in 2005, the
net has created a bunch of marketing opportunities for youth-targeted clients, including Heineken, Target, Red Bull and Skyy vodka. "This customized ... continues the network's overall strategy to
generate revenue as a commercial-free network," says Alan Klein, IFC's senior vice president of partnerships and licensing.
In the documentary, location scouts drive Land Rovers as they seek backdrops for films and some shots highlight how well they handle rough terrain, with others focusing on their design.
advertisement
advertisement