• by David Kaplan , January 13, 2005

Forget the old adage about too many cooks spoiling the soup, because Food Network is partnering with Snapple, eBay, and tech company GoldPocket to create a far-flung advertising campaign to support its new series Iron Chef America.

The campaign--the dollar amount of which is undisclosed--will feature TV, print, radio online, out-of-home, and cell phone interactive, a Food Network spokeswoman said. Media buying and planning will be handled by the network's agency, Media Storm, based in South Norwalk, Conn.

Iron Chef America is based on the Japanese cult classic that launched on Food Network four years ago. The series will pit some of America's best chefs against famous culinary artists such as Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto, and Cat Cora.

The series is set to premiere Sunday, January 16 at 9 p.m. EST/PT.

In one of the most unusual aspects of the promotion, the campaign's partner eBay will host an Online Charity Auction with autographed items from the show--potentially to include Mario Batali's trademark orange clogs, signed photos, and dinner at the chefs' restaurants--that will be up for bid on the bidding Web site beginning in mid-February. All proceeds from the auction will go to America's Second Harvest.

As for the media plan, The Food Network is relying on a combination of local and national buys on both broadcast and cable, with placements on shows such as "The Today Show," The Late Show with David Letterman," and cable networks including VH1, Comedy Central, and TNT/TBS.

The network has also bought spot radio buys and promotion partnerships in 20 markets, including San Francisco, Portland, Las Vegas, Chicago, Seattle, and Detroit.

As for print, the campaign includes one-page buys in weekly magazines such as People and TV Guide. A highlight of the print effort is a 12-page special tailgating insert in People>/I>, which offers tailgating recipes and tips from the Iron Chef Americans. Non-traditional support rounds out the plan with a custom-published Iron Chef America newspaper that will be distributed in Grand Central Station and Penn Station the week of January 10.

The interactive effort for Iron Chef America includes a partnership with GoldPocket Interactive, where users can sign in to FoodNetwork.com while watching the show to vote on winners and to judge the chefs on their performance. The tech company has also arranged a system that will allow users to text-message their votes and receive Iron Chef America updates on their cell phones.

The second part of the interactive plan will be a local effort in San Diego and Phoenix. In San Diego, the network is partnering with Cox Communications and its FreeZone free on-demand area. The network has created a Food Network "Iron Chef America Virtual Channel" that viewers can click through with the information button on their remote control. Content will feature 10 minutes of video from the show, bio information for the chefs, and other facts about the program.

In Phoenix, the Food Network will launch an interactive poll where users can watch video from the show and answer questions about what they think the secret ingredient will be or who they believe will win the battle.

Lastly, the network will feature a scratch-and-win promotion that will run through April 3, 2005. The grand prize is "The Ultimate Iron Chef Experience"--a three-day/two-night trip for two to New York City, accommodations at the W Hotel, and a training session in the Food Network kitchens, where winners will learn all the ins and outs of being an Iron Chef.