Shape Up

Posted on by Chief Marketer Staff

For many Americans, a new year usually ushers in a resolution to lose weight and get healthy. Whether they achieve their goals remains to be seen. But help may be on the way.

NBC jumped on the reality TV bandwagon in 2004 with what has turned into an enduring franchise “The Biggest Loser,” which offers severely overweight participants the opportunity to undergo a radical physical makeover without surgery.

The series’ latest spin-off edition is focused on couples (Tuesday nights at 8 p.m., EST), and is being promoted in a five-city mall tour by NBC with online portal www.MSN.com’s health and fitness channel, posing a challenge to couples to lose 1 million pounds during the course of the show.

The campaign, dubbed the Million Pound Match-Up, launched in Chicago last month. Other stops include Wichita, KS, Phoenix, Houston and Miami.

“They’re all cities with the most overweight people in the country,” explains Matt Britton, chief of brand development for Mr. Youth, the promotional agency that put together the campaign.

Mall dwellers get to check their blood pressure and Body Mass Index, which determines a person’s body fat, and discuss their personal goals with local fitness experts. They also get to meet previous winners of “The Biggest Loser.”

Other elements of the campaign include a sweepstakes, promotional Web site (www.BiggestLoser.msn.com) and in-show integration.

The campaign’s multi-fold goals are to raise awareness of obesity in the U.S., promote the sweepstakes and encourage Americans to participate.

Potential contestants have until March 11 to register with a workout partner. Participants will be able to test their fitness knowledge and receive expert advice from “The Biggest Loser” trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, as well as from MSN online hub experts, and will have the chance to win daily prizes.

The top five teams will win a trip to Los Angeles for “The Biggest Loser: Couples” finale, and the winning team will get a luxury spa fitness trip for two and a personal trainer for a year. The sweepstakes ends April 15.

NBC and Microsoft’s MSN have long been media partners, involved in the creation for example of the MSNBC cable network, but this promotion marks the first time they have collaborated on cross-promoting health and fitness.

Using [Microsoft’s] Windows Live Spaces, participants can document their weight-loss journey, connect with other participants and support each other.

Microsoft enjoys a further cross-promotional opportunity with daily giveaways of its digital music player Zune. Registrants have the option of receiving daily health and fitness tips from www.MSN.com.

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