Ford is launching an online reality TV show in partnership with Yahoo in the US.
The car maker will promote its Focus Electric model during an online reality program called “Plugged In.”
The online program will begin in May, when Ford’s Focus Electric model will be available in some U.S. markets. It will be broadcast exclusively on Yahoo! Screen.
The 10-episode branded entertainment series is a blend of The Amazing Race and a travelogue show. The 2-person teams will drive around the new Ford Focus Electric while completing a series of challenges in 10 U.S. cities.
In each city, the teams will be guided by a yet-to-be-named celebrity, who will lead contestants to his or her favorite local haunts—which will prove integral to some of their tasks.
To promote the car, contestants will be shown using the car’s navigation technology to find various venues, or making hands-free calls to connect with friends and family
The cities scheduled to be featured include Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Boston; New York; Austin, Texas; and several other hybrid-car-friendly locales.
Yahoo plans to post a new episode of Plugged In every week on its fledgling video hub Yahoo Screen as well as within relevant content sections on the site, such as Yahoo Autos, Yahoo Travel and even the celebrity gossip site OMG.
The goal is to reach a wide, large demographic, said Yahoo video head Erin McPherson, given that the concept for the show was driven in part by Yahoo users’ demonstrated interest in travel, cars and celebrities.
Yahoo is emerging as a huge launching pad for video series. The company boasts of airing 21 of the top 25 video series online, per comScore. Yahoo recently renewed a slate of series, and more are in the works, said McPherson.
“Ford is launching the Focus Electric on Yahoo!, once again recognizing the power and reach of the Web as we continue to rely more on digital media,” Matt VanDyke, director, U.S. marketing communications for Ford. “The electric vehicle market will grow over time, so we electrified our popular small-car platform with a targeted online campaign instead of creating a one-off vehicle with huge ad budgets.”
