NBC AND GM FORM IMPORTANT CROSS-PLATFORM MARKETING AND PROGRAMMING PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW NBC FALL DRAMA 'MY OWN WORST ENEMY'
NBC AND GM FORM IMPORTANT CROSS-PLATFORM MARKETING AND PROGRAMMING PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW NBC FALL DRAMA 'MY OWN WORST ENEMY'
BURBANK -- May 12, 2008 - NBC and GM announced an important cross-platform marketing and programming partnership that will make GM the exclusive automotive integration partner for NBC's new fall drama "My Own Worst Enemy" (starring Christian Slater). The show (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET starting this fall) will prominently feature two different GM cars -- one for each of the personalities embodied by Slater's character.
The deal was borne from NBC's April "InFront" meetings, where the company presented a full 65-week programming schedule six weeks before the traditional upfront presentations.
The announcement was made by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios; Mike Pilot, President, NBC Universal Sales and Marketing; and Dino Bernacchi, GM's Director of Branded Entertainment.
"This great partnership helps GM leverage our content and utilize our platform in a transformative way" said Silverman. "They are a market leader and we are a market leader. It validates our Infront strategy to be early and create a two-way conversation with our clients."
"Ben and his team have been very creative in their approach. It's not just been about media units, it's also about how we as an advertiser can dig deeper into their brands ... and ours, " said Dino Bernacchi, GM's Director of Marketing Alliances and Branded Entertainment. "NBC has really been aggressive to promote alternative ideas in-program and around-the-program that leverages multiple touch points. We call it Fusion Marketing - partnering with the creative community around ideas that build relationships with a passionate audience but done through the lens of the entertainment property to showcase the cool, new great cars and trucks we offer. This deal sets a tone for how we'll be approaching this year's upfronts."
In addition to the on-air integration, the complete 360-degree agreement includes an on-air media buy, presence on NBCU's digital platforms and Out-of-Home properties, as well as additional outside promotion. The deal is the centerpiece of a larger strategic partnership between the two companies for the 2008/09 programming season involving some of NBC's premier entertainment and late-night properties.
"By partnering with GM so early in the process, we can take the necessary time to design a highly impactful integration that achieves their marketing objectives and resonates with their customers," said Pilot. "This is exactly what we were hoping to accomplish by getting a jump start on the season and starting an early dialogue with our clients."
Henry Spivey (Christian Slater, "Bobby") is a middle-class efficiency expert living a humdrum life in the suburbs with a wife, two kids, a dog, and a minivan. Edward Albright is an operative who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile, and is trained to kill with his teeth. Henry and Edward are polar opposites who share only one thing in common -- the same body.
When the carefully constructed wall between them breaks down, Henry and Edward are thrust into unfamiliar territory where each man is dangerously out of his element. "My Own Worst Enemy" explores the duality of a man who is literally pitted against himself. And it raises the question: who can you trust when you can't trust yourself? The series is produced by Universal Media Studios. Jason Smilovic ("Kidnapped") is the executive producer; David Semel (director of the "American Dreams," "Heroes" and "Life" pilots) is the director and executive producer.
About NBC Universal:
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80 percent owned by General Electric and 20 percent owned by Vivendi.
About GM:
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling.
GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
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