• by November 3, 2008

Following "Meow TV" on Oxygen in 2003 and the reality series "Meow Mix House" on Animal Planet in 2006, Del Monte's innovative Meow Mix brand is once again venturing into TV programming--this time with "The Meow Mix Think Like a Cat Game Show" premiering on Nov. 15 on--where else-- GSN: The Network for Games.

The half-hour special was created by experiential agency Grand Central Marketing (GCM), whose Meow Mix Academy promotion just won a Promo Magazine award for the best use of event marketing. Both Meow Mix Academy and the Agency.com-developed Meow Mix Web site (www.meowmix.com) have also extended the brand's overall "Think Like a Cat" concept, which was developed by Omnicom's TracyLocke agency.

A GCM spokesperson explained that the GSN show "is not an ad buy per se, but ... part of a larger marketing relationship with GSN that also includes on-air promotional spots for the show and heavy Meow Mix presence on GSN.com.

The "The Meow Mix Think Like a Cat Game Show" promises "to test how well people can think like their cat" through quiz segments on general feline knowledge, plus interactive challenges in which teams of cats and their owners "must work together to be successful."

Eight teams of cats/humans will participate, following auditions over the summer in eight cities that drew more than 1,200 entrants. The finalists range from Guido, a two-year-old Tabby, to Wolfie, an 11-year-old Persian/Siamese mix--and from Alama, a 29-year-old Texan, to Judi, a 58-year-old Californian.

Presiding over the activities is legendary game show host Chuck Woolery ("Love Connection," "Lingo").

The winner, or the "Pick of the Litter," will received $1 million, plus $100,000 for a feline-related charity in their local community.

After premiering at 9:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 15, the program will be repeated Nov 16 at 1 a.m., Nov. 21 at 9 p.m., Nov. 22 at 1 a.m. and Nov. 23 at 4:30 p.m.