CW, Ford Drive Net's Biggest Marketing Push

2012Ford-Focus

In creating what they call the biggest marketing effort ever for the young-skewing network, the CW and Ford Motor will give a car away for five consecutive nights starting on April 4.

Featuring talent across all its major TV programs, CW and Ford will create custom, long-form commercials. Talent from "Gossip Girl," "The Vampire Diaries" and "90210" will appear in spots for each night of the week, where viewers can learn how to enter to win a new 2012 Ford Focus, as well as seeing sneak previews of upcoming episodes of The CW shows. They will also get information on the Ford Focus.

Alison Tarrant, executive vice president of integrated sales and marketing for the CW, states: "For the first time, we are featuring talent from across our network's prime-time schedule to interact directly with the brand."

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CW did not release financial terms of the marketing deal.

Ford Focus messaging will also be carried across other CW platforms -- online and mobile. For TV, Ford will get special billboard openings and other special messaging on each night.

CW talent in the Ford Focus spots include: Michael Steeger ("90210"), Tika Sumpter ("Gossip Girl"), Robert Buckley ("One Tree Hill"), Nigel Barker ("America's Next Top Model"), Sara Rue ("Shedding for the Wedding"), Katerina Graham ("The Vampire Diaries") and Cassidy Freeman ("Smallville").

Crystal Worthem, Ford's brand content and alliance manager, added that the creative collaboration with the CW "is allowing the new Ford Focus to fully communicate its attributes to a younger, more connected consumer in a more engaging and relevant way."

Ford has a partnership on "America's Next Top Model," where in the April 6 episode, models team up with "Ford Warriors in Pink" to help raise awareness and work toward a cure for breast cancer.

1 comment about "CW, Ford Drive Net's Biggest Marketing Push".
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  1. Jon Mandel from Dogsled Enterprises Inc, April 5, 2011 at 8:31 a.m.

    Actually not the first time. Only if one feels the CW has no roots in The WB. Many years ago, K Mart used the talent from across the entire network and had product placement throughout shows in a deal done when Bob and Lew were there and Paul Guyardo was at K Mart. And it also worked for the the network as their shows were promoted in stores and throughout various magazines. K Mart sold out of all of the product and the network garnered much higher ratings.

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