“Kim and Seana” is a seemingly archetypical American road story—in this case about two young women seeking musical careers—with an equally American commercial angle, as they drive a Ford Focus equipped with Sync technology.
The 13-episode Web series, which debuted in October, is the result of a collaboration between TBA Global, Ford and JWT Team Detroit. Several thousand Web surfers have been along for the ride on http://www.myspace.com/kimandseana since its debut.
Sync is a voice activated in-car communications system that enables interaction with cell phones and other mobile devices including iPods. And that’s what the two aspiring musicians are doing as they proceed on their road trip, which started at New York’s CMJ music festival. The lines of reality are blurred here, since the fictional characters are also real-life aspiring musicians and they interact spontaneously with other real musicians in the loosely scripted series.
In their sixth webisode, while heading for Nashville, the duo records an impromptu tune about the Tennessee music mecca on a cell phone and play it back using the voice-activated technology.
“What we’re trying to do is educate the public on Sync tech while educating them on Kim and Seana and their adventures,” said Brian Murphy TBA Global executive vice president of branded entertainment.
The concept grew out of Ford’s desire to get involved in a Web project, according to Murphy, who had been talking to JWT about several different ideas for TBA Global.
The result was what Murphy describes as a “viral Web series” which enables fans to interact with the musicians on the road through their MySpace site. The series has become linked to 40 other sites, including those in the blogosphere, according to Murphy.
And beyond the final episode, to be streamed in January, the series may be renewed, depending on the response.
Meanwhile, Ford is also promoting the Sync technology, developed by Microsoft exclusively for Ford, in TV spots. Sync is now standard equipment in the Ford Focus, and optional in other vehicles.
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