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Ford PAG Vehicles Gain Prominent Roles in Fall TV Season Review

September 2006
Filed under: ASTON MARTIN Car News | ASTON MARTIN Headlines
September 12, 2006 (Michael Collins, FCN) -- When NBC asked Ford's Global Brand Entertainment office in Beverly Hills for the use of a $185,000 car for a series pilot, the immediate answer was "yes." The script for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, called for a high-profile comedy writer, played by Matthew Perry, to drive an Aston Martin DB9.

Aston Martin DB9 Coupe

"Once we looked at the cast, the script, the producers and the timeslot, it seemed pretty evident that the show would be a hit," said Bob Witter, manager, Ford Global Brand Entertainment, who works with studios matching vehicles with projects. "It's the kind of win-win situation we look for. In this case, the studio gets the use of an Aston Martin and Aston Martin gets the kind of exposure that money can’t buy."

Witter says his job is just like any Hollywood agents, the only difference being his "actors" are Ford Motor Company vehicles, and he's only looking for the very best roles.

Like any agency with a large stable of stars, the Ford Global Brand Entertainment office has been able to leverage the strength of some nameplates to create on-camera opportunities for others.

As an example, Witter points to the season opener of the new Fox series "Standoff." In the process of auditioning a Range Rover for a high-exposure role, he was able to also pitch a Mustang convertible for a recurring lead that is scheduled to run throughout the season

Other stars sharing serious face time with Ford nameplates this season include Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet and Eva Longoria, as nine new series have cast the various dream machines from Ford's Premiere Automotive Group for highly visible roles.

"There are days when we feel like air traffic controllers," said Witter. "This has been our busiest fall season ever, and the requests to place PAG vehicles with starring characters haven't stopped."

On a recent episode of the hit HBO series "Entourage," the character Vinnie Chase, a Hollywood golden boy, buys his three closest friends Aston Martins.

Not only is the Aston Martin name mentioned throughout the show, Vinnie and his posse are seen tooling around the streets of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, showing off the phenomenal handling and speed of the British roadsters.

"The four characters on 'Entourage' have an enchanted life: dining, dating and driving pricey cars without a care in the world," said David Goetzl a writer for Advertising Age magazine. "That's aspirational, and that's what the Aston Martin placement is all about."

A vehicle's recurring role on a popular show isn't just good for the vehicle brand; it can bolster the show's image by associating the character with a high-end car, according to Karen Sternheimer, a media professor at UCLA and author of the book "It's Not the Media."

"The vehicle can instantly define the character, who in many cases is living the lifestyle the viewers aspire to," she said. "It doesn't always mean they can afford the lifestyle, but it means they would live it if they could."

Sternheimer also believes product placements are taking up where 30-second commercials left off.

"With a commercial, there's only a certain amount of time to create an image," she said. "But a TV show has 22 episodes, and if the character is closely associated with the vehicle, even if the vehicle isn't in every scene, the character is helping to reinforce the vehicle's brand."

Other roles for PAG brands this season include "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers and Sisters" on ABC, "The OC" on Fox, "Las Vegas" on NBC, and "Ghost Whisperer" and a new series called "Smith" on CBS, which puts its star Ray Liotta, in both an Aston Martin and a Ford Five Hundred.

"When I saw which cars were written into the script I knew I would only have to make one phone call," said Marlo Hellerstein, who, as a veteran transportation director in Hollywood, has worked with Ford Global Brand Entertainment on various series. "Ford not only has this wide variety of vehicles from luxury to sports to family cars, they also have a great reputation for working with studios and production companies."


Source: Ford Motor Company

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