• June 15, 2007

Sprint Nextel is pitching Hispanic consumers with its first TV ad with NASCAR driver Pablo Montoya airing on June 18, and timed with the premiere of the Nextel Cup Series.

The 30-second Spanish-language spot shows the Colombian-born driver making his pit stop during a race. While his pit crew works on refueling and changing worn tires in less than 15 seconds, Montoya talks to his wife via a Nextel Walkie-Talkie phone, and helps negotiate the cost for a plumber's work.

Last year, Montoya became the first Formula One driver to join the Nextel Cup circuit on a full-time basis. The Sprint Nextel TV spot is Montoya's first Spanish-language commercial after entering the Series.

Per Nextel, the ad is part of a larger, Hispanic integrated-marketing campaign Sprint Nextel launched earlier this year. The commercial is paired with radio advertising, a national "Viva la Copa Nextel de NASCAR" sweepstakes, in-store promotions, online, direct marketing, and public relations.

The sweepstakes, promoted in the TV commercial, offers a chance to meet Montoya and an all-expense paid trip to attend the Nextel Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

--Karl Greenberg