itvt

Ford Motor Company and its advertising agency, JWT Detroit, have launched the automaker’s first-ever VOD marketing campaign. On Cablevision’s digital platform (note: a version of the campaign is also running on Charter’s VOD service), the campaign features two branded areas–devoted to Ford’s Fusion and Explorer models respectively–that are located on the MSO’s interactive car-shopping service, Optimum Autos. The campaign is utilizing a large portion of Optimum Autos’ overall VOD inventory, in order, Ford says, to gain "a competitive edge" on other auto manufacturers. It provides viewers with video tours of the Ford vehicles, as well as data on the vehicles’ safety and comfort features and other specs.

The campaign also provides viewers with sponsored entertainment content: the Ford Fusion area features a mini-site where viewers can access nearly 30 minutes of music videos from the Norwegian band, Hurra Torpedo, while the Ford Explorer area features content focusing on the annual "Ironman" competition, including an opportunity to enter a competition to win a trip to Kona, Hawaii, where the event is held. In addition, the campaign provides pages "pre-populated" with consumer information, in order to facilitate consumer requests for more information and thereby generate more leads for Ford. "Optimum Autos provides Ford with the added value of our instant lead generation through ‘pre-populated’ consumer information pages," Cablevision Advanced Platforms’ SVP of sales, Barry Frey, said in a prepared statement. "The easy-to-navigate information request pages already contain the necessary customer information so all users have to do is press the send button to make this important connection with the advertiser." The Ford campaign is being promoted on Cablevision’s platform via a co-branded Ford/Optimum Autos banner on the MSO’s News 12 and Traffic and Weather channels, which takes viewers directly to the campaign’s VOD content. Both Cablevision and Charter plan to provide Ford with detailed information on viewers’ interactions with the campaign’s content.