Volvo Cars of North America LLC announced a Bravo sponsorship deal Monday
where the automaker will become a sponsor of Inside the Actors Studio and also sponsor synchronized interactive online content,
effective Nov. 18.
Consumers will be able to log onto Bravotv.com or use the technologies of
Microsoft Corp. Ultimate TV, MSNTV or AOLTV to see the interactive content on
their television screen along with Bravo's signature series.
The content will include polls, trivia quizzes, biographies and discussion
groups, the companies said.
The Volvo-sponsored content will be tied to Bravo's upcoming Inside
interviews with actors Sean Penn and Kevin Costner later this month (Nov. 18 and
25) and Helen Hunt, Michael Douglas and Ellen Barkin, due next month Dec. 9, 16
and 23, respectively.
The interactive programming will start 15 minutes before Inside the Actors
Studio begins on Bravo, and a chat-room discussion will continue 15 minutes
after the program ends.
'By offering a two-screen [television and computer] synchronized product, we
enhance our audience's control and overall experience, while also increasing
value to our advertisers,' Bravo Networks senior vice president and general
manager/digital networks Cynthia Burnell said in a prepared statement.
Consumers will also be linked to Volvo's Web site .
The interactive sponsorship was created by Fuel North America, a unit of
Volvo's ad agency, Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer Euro
RSCG.
