CNN, Chrysler Strike Deal For Time 'Person of the Year'

CNN has signed on The Chrysler Group to a multimedia platform deal priced at $5 million to $7 million, focused around its sister company Time magazine's 2005 "Person of the Year."

The integrated deal involves the most media platforms ever for a CNN advertising deal, which includes eight media extensions--TV, print, Internet, wireless, podcasting, video-on-demand, broadband, and interactive TV elements, according to CNN Ad Sales and Marketing COO Greg D'Alba.

Despite the addition of growing media venues, the bulk of the advertising dollars will go to CNN's core and most expensive medium--television.

Beginning November 21, and leading up to the selection of the 2005 "Person of the Year," to be named on December 18, TV commercial spots in the package will include tagged tune-ins promoting the show on CNN, CNN Headline News, and the CNN Airport Network. CNN had covered Time magazine's "Person of the Year" in the past, but this is the first time it has built an integrated marketing program around the event. Another first is an unusual podcasting marketing element.

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All prospective "Person of the Year" candidate profiles, including President George W. Bush, cycling champion Lance Armstrong, Pope Benedict XVI, and Harry Potter-author J.K. Rowling--will be available in weekly podcasts that can be downloaded free of charge from CNN.com or iTunes.com. Podcasts will begin with a 5-second sponsorship billboard from Chrysler and end with a 30-second tribute to Walter P. Chrysler--who was, himself, a Time magazine "Person of the Year." Online banner ads for Chrysler will accompany the "Person of the Year" content on CNN.com and TIME.com.

On-demand programming will feature a 30-second commercial spot for Chrysler and another message stating "This CNN On Demand program is brought to you by Chrysler."

The CNN-Chrysler pact is an example of the type of deals CNN has increasingly made with advertisers. Now CNN says 80 percent of its deals are integrated with other non-traditional TV platforms, whereas two years ago only 20 percent of its advertising deals were integrated.

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