Ford Focus Electric Costars with Celebrities in ‘Plugged In,' Yahoo!'s First Reality Competition Series Launching May 29
The program will debut May 29, reaching millions of viewers through
Yahoo!'s video destination — Yahoo! Screen — to promote the new Focus
Electric, America's most fuel-efficient five-passenger car
Featuring celebrity hosts — David Arquette, Adrian Grenier, Jenna Bush
Hager, Emily Procter, Alicia Silverstone, J.R. Martinez and more
All-new Focus Electric — Ford's first all-electric, gas-free passenger
car — plays a starring role in an exciting reality competition where the
audience will ride along through some of America's most interesting
cities
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & DEARBORN, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Yahoo!, the premier digital company, and Ford are releasing today a
teaser video previewing ‘Plugged In,' a weekly online reality
competition show coinciding with the launch of the all-new 2012 Focus
Electric and airing exclusively on Yahoo!
Screen, the company's video destination.
‘Plugged In' features two-person teams competing against each other in a
series of challenges. The series begins May 29 with actor David Arquette
guiding contestants through challenges at some of his favorite Los
Angeles locales. Subsequent episodes will feature different celebrities
taking contestants and viewers on an intimate tour of their respective
hometowns, discovering hidden cultural gems and "best of" locations in
their city.
The winning teams in each city will move on to participate in the finale
event in Los Angeles, where they will compete with teams from other
regions for the chance to win a Ford Focus Electric. The series will
crown a winning team in a finale episode on Aug. 7.
"Ford is launching the Focus Electric only on Yahoo!, once again
recognizing the power and reach of the Web as we continue to rely more
on the power of digital media," says 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 rather
than creating a one-off vehicle, and now we can use a targeted online
campaign instead of a big-budget advertisement."
Focus Electric plays a prominent role in the competition as the car's
SYNC® with MyFord Touch® system will be used by
each team to receive video, text and audio clues. The car's navigation
capabilities will help teams get from point to point, while hands-free
calling will be used when the contest requires teams to make calls.
With 61 million unique visitors per month* who come to Yahoo! to watch
video and 21 of the top original online video programs**, Yahoo! sets
the bar for best-in-class original video programming.
With its recently launched video destination, Yahoo! Screen, the
development of women's and comedy slates, and collaborations with
world-class storytellers, creative partners and original voices, Yahoo!
continues to build on its leadership position in video and to provide
consumers and advertisers with the best premium content online.
"With at least eight out of 10 Internet users now watching online video,
this is the perfect time for Yahoo! and Ford to launch ‘Plugged In,'"
says Erin McPherson, Vice President and Head of Video at Yahoo!. "We
know from our insights and data that our audience is passionate about
celebrity-related content and travel content, and we combined those
insights with Ford's brand goals for a truly engaging program."
"I am excited to be a part of ‘Plugged In' on Yahoo! and take viewers to
some of my favorite spots in Los Angeles," said David Arquette.
"I am excited to be an ambassador for one of the best cities in the
world, and my hometown, New York City," said Adrian Grenier. "There are
so many amazing things going on here. People are engaged and you can
feel the creativity all around you. There is never a false moment.
People live fully and well and are starting to really embrace clean
healthy living. There is a real sense of belonging and community."
Locations, celebrities and airdates are:
|
Location
|
|
|
Celebrity
|
|
|
|
Airdate
|
|
|
Los Angeles
|
|
|
David Arquette
|
|
|
|
May 29
|
|
|
San Francisco
|
|
|
Alicia Silverstone
|
|
|
|
June 5
|
|
|
Washington, DC
|
|
|
Ali Wentworth
|
|
|
|
June 12
|
|
|
Austin
|
|
|
Jenna Bush Hager
|
|
|
|
June 19
|
|
|
Boston
|
|
|
Rocco DiSpirito
|
|
|
|
June 26
|
|
|
Chicago
|
|
|
Bill Rancic
|
|
|
|
July 3
|
|
|
New York
|
|
|
Adrian Grenier
|
|
|
|
July 10
|
|
|
Raleigh
|
|
|
Emily Procter
|
|
|
|
July 17
|
|
|
Atlanta
|
|
|
J.R. Martinez
|
|
|
|
July 24
|
|
|
Seattle
|
|
|
India Arie
|
|
|
|
July 31
|
|
|
FINALE, Los Angeles
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
America's most fuel-efficient five-seater
Focus Electric is America's most fuel-efficient five-passenger car that
offers the equivalent of 110 miles per gallon (MPGe) city, 99 MPGe
highway, and operates entirely on battery-generated power. Focus
Electric also has been certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to offer 105 MPGe combined.
Ford is ramping up Focus Electric retail production for dealership
availability in California, New York and New Jersey. By year-end, Focus
Electric becomes available in 19 markets across the United States.
More information about Ford's electrified vehicle lineup — including
press releases, technical specifications and other related material —
can be found online here.
Photos of Focus Electric can be found here.
The Plugged In Yahoo! Screen page is at http://screen.yahoo.com/pluggedin/.
*comScore Video Metrix, U.S., March 2012
**Ranking based
on custom-created category of original video programs by Yahoo! based on
comScore Mediabuilder, U.S., February 2012
About Ford Motor Company
Ford
Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide,
the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
About Yahoo!:
Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is the premier digital media company, creating
deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion
people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around
the globe. And Yahoo!'s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale
connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo!
is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit
the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.com).
Yahoo! is the trademark and/or registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc.
All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective owner.
Ford Motor Company
Wes Sherwood, 313-390-5660
wsherwoo@ford.com
or
Yahoo!
Inc.
MaryLiz Ghanem, 646-213-6279
maryliz@yahoo-inc.com
Follow
Yahoo! @YahooInc
Source: Yahoo!
News Provided by Acquire Media
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