USA NETWORK & FORD CONTINUE THEIR INDUSTRY-LEADING 360o MARKETING PARTNERSHIP AROUND HIT SERIES WHITE COLLAR
Ford Fusion Comes to Life on all WHITE COLLAR Platforms through a Socially-Driven Gaming Experience, In-Show Integration & Custom Vignettes
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - January 18, 2011 - USA Network announced today the launch of a new multimedia initiative as part of its continuing exclusive partnership with the Ford Fusion and the hit original series WHITE COLLAR The integrated offerings are set to include in-show placement, a customized Ford on-air vignette starring series co-star Tim DeKay and integration into USA's newest show-themed online game 36 Hours (36hours.usanetwork.com). Season two of WHITE COLLAR returned with all-new episodes on Tuesday, January 18 at its new time, 10/9c. The announcement was made today by Chris McCumber, USA's executive vice president, marketing, digital and brand strategy.
"Our team strives to find the perfect partners for all show experiences, and Ford and its brand are just that for WHITE COLLAR. We're thrilled to continue this partnership and are extremely excited to see the fan reaction to the new elements we've worked hard to bring to reality," said McCumber.
Ford's environmentally responsible Fusion Hybrid is the official car of WHITE COLLAR, driven by agent Diana Barrigan (played by Marsha Thomason), and is featured throughout the series. In conjunction with the season 2.5 premiere, USA will launch a new on-air Character Builder Vignette featuring Tim DeKay (who plays lead agent Peter Burke) in which he will analyze what motivates and defines his character. The Ford partnership extends off-channel with Ford integration into 36 Hours, an immersive online game in which players participate in a series of challenges to catch a thief while working backwards to put the pieces of their investigation together. The game was developed with WHITE COLLAR creator and executive producer Jeff Eastin to ensure the transmedia experience was authentic to the storyline and its characters. Eastin appears in an opening video on the game splash page and invites players to follow him on Twitter (@jeffeastin) for clues along the way. The game features the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid as a key part of each mission. Vehicle features such as SYNC, SIRIUS Travel Link and SmartGauge Hybrid Technology were organically integrated into the game-play. Building upon the success of last season's Chasing the Shadow online game, 36 Hours (36hours.usanetwork.com) takes gaming to a whole new level through social and mobile participation on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, where fans can discover game clues as well as earn points by "liking" and sharing content with friends. The last ties into USA's newest Character Rewards affinity program, WHITE COLLAR Society, where fans get rewarded for content consumption and can redeem their points for virtual and tangible goods.
As the exclusive presenting sponsor, Ford will gain pre-promotional spots, enhanced tune-ins and in-show integration. They will also be featured in co-branded promos developed to encourage fans to log-in online, experience 36 Hours and try their hand at winning a Ford Fusion 2011.
"What we love about working with USA Network on WHITE COLLAR is that Ford gets to bring the show's enthusiastic fans some great extra content plus, through the online game, a chance to have their own White Collar inspired experience," said Ford Brand Content and Alliances Manager Jeff Eggen.
USA's hit original series, WHITE COLLAR, stars Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson, Sharif Atkins and Marsha Thomason. The series was created and is executive produced by Jeff Eastin and comes from Fox Television Studios. Jeff King and Mark Goffman are co-executive producers. The show is shot entirely in and around New York City.
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
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