Pontiac Debuts Torrent Survivor Promotion

Following the success of Oprah's 19 th Season Premiere last fall and Donald Trump's boardroom in "The Apprentice" last spring, Pontiac is again stepping out with a major media partner - CBS' "Survivor" - in surprising fashion for the launch of its new Pontiac Torrent SUV.

"While many companies place their product in a show, this time we've sort of placed the show in our product," said Mark-Hans Richer, Pontiac marketing director.

Six former Survivors from the hit CBS television show first hit the "urban jungle" in Pontiac Torrents during the launch of "Survivor Search in the City" last week on the top-rated reality show, 'Survivor: Guatemala - The Maya Empire.' The participating Survivor celebrities include many popular characters from top urban areas: "Boston Rob" Mariano in Boston (Survivor: Marquesas/Survivor: All Stars), Rupert Boneham in Chicago (Survivor: Pearl Islands/Survivor: All Stars), Jerri Manthey in Los Angeles (Survivor: The Australian Outback), Ethan Zohn in New York (Survivor: Africa), Gervase Peterson in Philadelphia (Survivor: Borneo), and Erin Collins in Texas (Survivor: Thailand).

Pontiac, along with marketing partner Leo Burnett Detroit and CBS, is launching the promotion, a fully integrated, effort incorporating the six former Survivors who will drive new Torrents as they go about their daily life over the coming weeks in their home cities and local regions. Consumers will be asked to find one of them and snap a picture of them with their Torrent on their camera phone. They can immediately transmit the image for a chance to win five, fully-loaded, 2006 Pontiac Torrents, what Pontiac is calling "Torrents for your tribe."

Photos may also be submitted from digital cameras (via email) or by postal mail through November 6.

"This promotion represents one of the most creative executions of a sponsor promotion we have ever had in association with the Survivor brand," said Anne O'Grady, executive vice president, CBS marketing "Survivor has one of the most passionate audiences on television, consistently ranking it in the top ten in viewership every week."

GM research shows that the Survivor audience is 25% more likely than other prime time shows to talk about the program. "Because we're working with the enhanced enthusiasm of the audience, this promotion becomes naturally viral," said Richer.