• by Karl Greenberg , May 3, 2011

Valvoline has signed a deal with Telemundo's bicultural, bilingual cable network Mun2 that makes the automotive lubricant division of Ashland, Inc. a partner to the network's biggest integration to date.

Valvoline is using the program to promote its NextGen motor oil, a product that is 50% recycled. When the company launched the product in March this year, it said it would put just about all its media budget behind it this year.

The effort, for which Valvoline tapped its Hispanic AOR Grupo Gallegos, centers on an online viewer contest titled "Valvoline NextGen King of the Street" and supports the new show, "RPM Miami," whose star bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Vin Diesel, and whose "Fast and Furious" themes revolve around multi-cultural urban kids and "tuners," souped up and modified cars.

The companies will promote the contest with on-air promotional activity, as well as marketing online and on Facebook. The outreach elements aim to get car enthusiasts to upload photos of their tuner cars for judging. People on Mun2.tv's own community and on Facebook can vote to determine the winner of the best car. That person gets cash and a trip to the largest tuner car auto show in the country.

NextGen will actually be part of the show, since there's a Valvoline NextGen-branded garage in the program.

Valvoline is also doing a separate digital integration on Mun2.tv where viewers and car enthusiasts can watch scenes that will not air on television, as well as episode recaps, behind-the-scenes footage, and slideshows from the production process.

The show, which started airing this week, includes online prompts that direct viewers to Valvoline-branded areas, where they can see character clues and engage in a virtual drifting-skills platform via a driving game that uses images and music from the series. The game is also available in mobile format for iPad, iTouch, iPhone and Android.