With the help of social media
platform provider Reality Digital and TBWA/Chiat/Day, Pepsi has launched a video contest for the NASCAR crowd.
Fans are being asked to recount their favorite NASCAR moments from one of the
sport's best-known stock car racing teams, Hendricks Motorsports, and then upload the videos to Facebook and other social networks.
Mitchell Linden, SVP of strategy and business development at
Reality Digital, said Pepsi's expectations for the initiative are modest, and did not even get into specifics regarding submission and viewership numbers.
"They realize the importance of
connecting with this base, but Pepsi isn't going into this with outrageous expectations," said Linden. "I expect submissions to be in the thousands."
According to Linden, Pepsi is working with
Pepsi on several initiatives, another of which is expected to be announced next week.
Reality Digital provides an on-demand platform for media companies to add video-sharing, social media and
networking features, and other services to their digital media offerings.
Other clients include MTV Networks, NFL, MLB, Hyundai, Sears, Dreyer's, the Travel Channel and Lonely Planet, while other
agency partners include Goodby Silverstein & Partners, WhittmanHart Interactive, TracyLocke, MTVN Digital Fusion, TribalDDB, and Fleishman Hillard.
In March 2008, the San Francisco-based startup
received a $6.3 million Series B round from OpenView Venture Partners of Boston.
Branching out internationally, UK-based parenting community Gurgle.com tapped Reality Digital last month to
furnish the site with better video and social networking offerings. Gurgle is hoping that the addition of user-generated content and social networking features will improve engagement and community
interaction.