TORONTO – A new multiplatform advertising deal between national telco Telus and Discovery channel will weave the telecom firm’s brand into all iterations of the specialty service’s newest series, Cash Cab.
Premiering today and Friday on Discovery HD, Cash Cab is modeled on the worldwide hit format of the same name where passengers/contestants in a specially designed taxi are offered the chance to win money by answering a series of trivia questions on the way to their destination.
Since the original series premiered in the U.K. in 2005, it has become an international hit. In June, Cash Cab (U.S.) won the 2008 Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding game show. Currently the series is available throughout Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Indonesia and Japan.
“Cash Cab is an ideal series for this kind of sophisticated product integration,” said Sally Basmajian, vice-president of sales and marketing, Discovery Channel. “We strive to create opportunities for clients to incorporate their products into our programming in ways that contribute to the story arc and that meet their needs while appealing to our viewers. In this case I think that we have been very successful.”
In addition to billboards, pre-promotion and brand-sell spots, Discovery has integrated Telus smart phones into naturally occurring aspects of the show, according to the broadcaster. Throughout the series, host Adam Growe uses a Telus smart phone – such as a GPS-armed Blackberry – to help him navigate the city. Each time he turns to his smart phone for help, GPS navigation functionality will be displayed on-screen featuring graphics from the handset.
“Today’s wireless users are looking for phones that will not only simplify their life but enable them to do more than simply talking”, said Tammy Scott, vice-president of marketing communications at Telus. “Telus is thrilled to be able to showcase some of the great functionalities of our smart phones, like GPS and web browsing, on a popular franchise like Cash Cab, as it allows us to demonstrate the use of our phones in relevant situations.”
Telus will be recognized as the sponsor of CashCabOnline.ca, the official web destination for the show, and is integrated directly into a web based game that incorporates original video footage from the series. During the game, players will be able to obtain game hints on a virtual Telus smart phone (the silver BlackBerry Curve 8330).
Telus is also integrated into the official Cash Cab mobile web site, too, which is accessible on any mobile device at CashCabOnline.ca. The mobile site will contain behind the scenes content and a mobile version of the Cash Cab game. At the end of each broadcast episode a 10-second in-show spot will outline how users can play the game on the move by demonstrating the mobile browsing capabilities of Telus smart phones.
