FORD, TURNER MEDIA GROUP GIVE NEARLY 12 MILLION DISH NETWORK HOMES FIRST TEST DRIVE OF 2007 FORD MUSTANG AND OTHER NEW FORD CARS VIA INTERACTIVE TV
Campaign First to Deliver iTV/Mobile Phone Integration for Automobile Advertising
Dearborn, MICH., and Denver – June 21, 2006 - Ford Motor Company and Turner Media Group (TMG) are giving nearly 12 million interactive TV subscribers of EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network satellite TV service a convenient way to experience the 2007 Ford Mustang and Fusion and Five Hundred sedans through an innovative, interactive TV advertising campaign.
From now through mid July 2006, the Ford iTV ad campaign will showcase the much touted Ford Mustang debuting this summer, which has already created a wave of car enthusiast buzz. The interactive ad, or i-Ad, features more than 15 different screens to reveal styles, colors and accessories for the Mustang including the coupe, convertible and pony package. The i-Ad also gives viewers a first look at Ford’s 2007 sedans: Fusion, Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Focus.
Developed by DISH Network and TMG, Ford’s comprehensive iTV campaign consists of 30-second TV spots scheduled to run across dozens of cable networks that link viewers via an on-screen pop-up message, or “trigger,” to an i-Ad or web-like environment on their satellite TV. Viewers simply use their TV remote to do the following:
· Request a free ring tone of the signature sound of a Mustang engine or wallpaper for the viewer’s mobile phone -- a first among iTV ads,
· View a gallery of photos of the Mustang and Ford sedan series of cars,
· Request a brochure for any Ford car,
· Locate a local Ford dealer with up to nine-digit zipcode precision,
· Enter the Ford iAd through banners on the DISH Home, Shopping portals, or by interacting with a Ford Mustang television spot.
“It’s fitting for Ford to take advantage of emerging technologies to re-introduce the Ford Mustang," said Brian Bos, Convergence Director for JWT Detroit, an advertising agency for Ford. "Consumers can learn about the newest Ford muscle car from the comfort of their own home, explore the entire Ford car product line, and order a brochure right from their TV set."
DISH Network, the world’s largest provider of interactive television, previously collaborated with Ford and TMG on a 2005 iTV campaign for the Explorer brand.
"Ford is an example of advertisers seeking technologies beyond the traditional TV commercial to bring millions of consumers a robust experience at home," said Chris Kager, president of TMG’s Turner Advertising Group. “TMG can offer advertisers like Ford on-screen triggers, iAds, RFI’s and set-top box audience analysis. Together, DISH Network and TMG are setting the pace for the industry by delivering interactive advertising to three times more homes than any other U.S. provider.”
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.
About Turner Media Group
Turner Media Group (TMG) is a full-service, turn-key provider of interactive TV advertising, direct response programming and transactional TV. TMG represents advertising media in various formats on eight of TMG’s targeted transactional TV channels: The Men's Channel, Healthy Living Channel, Beauty & Fashion Channel, Resort and Residence, iDrive, Men's Outdoors and Recreation, America’s Preview Channel and iShop TV. Comprised of two divisions, Turner Advertising Group and Turner Networks Group, TMG reaches an aggregate of more than 100 million homes nationwide through EchoStar's DISH Network satellite TV and major cable TV distributors Comcast, Time Warner and Cox on a market-by-market basis. Gary Turner Companies are not affiliated with Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. Visit www.turnermediagroup.com.
Campaign First to Deliver iTV/Mobile Phone Integration for Automobile Advertising
Dearborn, MICH., and Denver – June 21, 2006 - Ford Motor Company and Turner Media Group (TMG) are giving nearly 12 million interactive TV subscribers of EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network satellite TV service a convenient way to experience the 2007 Ford Mustang and Fusion and Five Hundred sedans through an innovative, interactive TV advertising campaign.
From now through mid July 2006, the Ford iTV ad campaign will showcase the much touted Ford Mustang debuting this summer, which has already created a wave of car enthusiast buzz. The interactive ad, or i-Ad, features more than 15 different screens to reveal styles, colors and accessories for the Mustang including the coupe, convertible and pony package. The i-Ad also gives viewers a first look at Ford’s 2007 sedans: Fusion, Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Focus.
Developed by DISH Network and TMG, Ford’s comprehensive iTV campaign consists of 30-second TV spots scheduled to run across dozens of cable networks that link viewers via an on-screen pop-up message, or “trigger,” to an i-Ad or web-like environment on their satellite TV. Viewers simply use their TV remote to do the following:
· Request a free ring tone of the signature sound of a Mustang engine or wallpaper for the viewer’s mobile phone -- a first among iTV ads,
· View a gallery of photos of the Mustang and Ford sedan series of cars,
· Request a brochure for any Ford car,
· Locate a local Ford dealer with up to nine-digit zipcode precision,
· Enter the Ford iAd through banners on the DISH Home, Shopping portals, or by interacting with a Ford Mustang television spot.
“It’s fitting for Ford to take advantage of emerging technologies to re-introduce the Ford Mustang," said Brian Bos, Convergence Director for JWT Detroit, an advertising agency for Ford. "Consumers can learn about the newest Ford muscle car from the comfort of their own home, explore the entire Ford car product line, and order a brochure right from their TV set."
DISH Network, the world’s largest provider of interactive television, previously collaborated with Ford and TMG on a 2005 iTV campaign for the Explorer brand.
"Ford is an example of advertisers seeking technologies beyond the traditional TV commercial to bring millions of consumers a robust experience at home," said Chris Kager, president of TMG’s Turner Advertising Group. “TMG can offer advertisers like Ford on-screen triggers, iAds, RFI’s and set-top box audience analysis. Together, DISH Network and TMG are setting the pace for the industry by delivering interactive advertising to three times more homes than any other U.S. provider.”
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.
About Turner Media Group
Turner Media Group (TMG) is a full-service, turn-key provider of interactive TV advertising, direct response programming and transactional TV. TMG represents advertising media in various formats on eight of TMG’s targeted transactional TV channels: The Men's Channel, Healthy Living Channel, Beauty & Fashion Channel, Resort and Residence, iDrive, Men's Outdoors and Recreation, America’s Preview Channel and iShop TV. Comprised of two divisions, Turner Advertising Group and Turner Networks Group, TMG reaches an aggregate of more than 100 million homes nationwide through EchoStar's DISH Network satellite TV and major cable TV distributors Comcast, Time Warner and Cox on a market-by-market basis. Gary Turner Companies are not affiliated with Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. Visit www.turnermediagroup.com.
