• Ad Age, Wednesday, May 24, 2006 11:15 AM

Japanese automaker Toyota is becoming a serious fan of American football. This fall, when the new National Football League season kicks off, the company will have a major presence on the halftime show on ESPN's new "Monday Night Football." Under terms of the deal, nine halftime shows will be sponsored by Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, and eight will be sponsored by Toyota. Lexus and Toyota also will be featured in spots throughout the game and in 'ESPN the Magazine', on ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and SportsCenter. Each brand will have its own specific online promotion: "Monday Night Surround Presented by Toyota" will feature competitions for the ultimate fan; "The Lexus Perfect Play" allows viewers to vote on the top three plays from Sunday's games as determined by the ESPN analysts. "We are selling this as a 'Monday Night Football' experience," said Ed Erhardt, president-ad sales for "Monday Night Football." "They understand that we get fans 24 hours a day, not just for three hours." It was previously announced that Toyota will also be a sponsor of NBC's new "Sunday Night Football" halftime show.

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