• by Karl Greenberg , October 31, 2007

Chrysler is promoting its new Town & Country minivan through an integrated promotional relationship with Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" this fall. The multi-video, TBS-branded campaign includes a "tune-in" shot with the show's cast posing with the Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The vehicle will also be in episodes broadcast over TBS's wireless platform.

Every Wednesday night, Chrysler and House of Payne will run on-air billboards and tune-ins, and Chrysler will also sponsor "House" content at TBS.com and on TBS video on demand.

Through November, Chrysler will have Chrysler product messaging during the show's time slot. Ad creative posits the minivan as a living room away from home, when "Pops" Payne escapes the house to use the Town & Country as a refuge, until his family ends up following him into the minivan to play games and watch TV on Sirius Backseat TV.

The 1- to-3-minute wireless episodes showing slices of life with the Paynes and featuring the Town & Country will be on TBS WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) at TBS.mobi. Custom Chrysler pre-roll will run prior to the start of each mobisode on TBS Mobi.

The show ranks as ad-supported cable's No. 1 sitcom among adults 18-49 and television's No. 1 program among African-American adults 18-49.

Eric Andrew, manager of Chrysler advertising and Chrysler global brand communications, says the fact that Tyler Perry is a well-known up-and-coming director and producer made the deal a pretty good bet for Chrysler to be involved in as a way to pitch African-Americans and the general market.

"We looked at our target audience from the general market and multicultural standpoint and felt this program reached out in a good way. We have a long-standing relationship with TBS, and as they saw this opportunity coming up and talked to us, we felt it was a good fit because of the quality of the program and the fact that it reached out to target families."

He says that although the program runs through the end of November, Chrysler will continue advertising on TBS, and on "House of Payne" through the first quarter next year.