Bravo Media is working with sponsor Lay’s to stream a Top Chef Quickfire Challenge on Facebook Live leading into the series finale on March 2.
Viewers can go online to pick ingredients that will be used in the challenge as part of the Lay’s “Do Us a Flavor” campaign. They can then watch the two surprise contestants face off for 15 minutes to win a $10,000 prize.
The stunt is the type of multiplatform event more advertisers are looking for as a way to enhance their traditional TV sponsorships.
The live Quickfire Challenge be posted on BravoTV.com and Facebook. It will be hosted by Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi. Top Chef Masters alum Art Smith will serve as judge.
The live event will also be promoted on BravoTV.com and on Facebook. Fans have already begun voting on flavor combinations—including blueberries and corn, sriracha and peanut butter, foie gras and cotton candy—that will be used to inspire the dishes that will be whipped up during the competition.
Sister NBCUniversal cable network E! will also run a segment on it during its entertainment news show.
“This is our first-ever live Quickfire Challenge,” said Lisa Hsia, executive VP of digital at Bravo and Oxygen Media.
“It’s so exciting because normally Quickfire challenges are taped by the show long in advance. In this case, you’re going to see everything they’re doing live. You’ll see the kitchen prep as they’re setting up. If someone makes a mistake you’ll see their reaction live and how they cope with it,” she said.
Bravo has done a number of Facebook Live events, which have attracted audiences of between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of viewers.
“We find the ones that feature Bravo talent and the ones that feature exclusive content have been most successful,” Hsia said.
During the Facebook Live event, fans will be able to comment and share what they’re watching.
Sponsor Lay’s will be integrated into the event
“Together with Lay’s, we’re engaging our passionate viewers with a digitally robust partnership that features the Top Chef names they know and love,” said Laura Molen, executive VP of lifestyle and Hispanic advertising sales at NBCUniversal. “This effort is a prime example of the innovative and unique collaborations we continue to create for our marketing partners.”
Lay's will also sponsor content about the winning dishes afterwards.
“We are always focused on getting our marketing partners’ brand messaging wherever the viewers are, regardless of platform,” said Molen. “Here, as we work with Lay’s to also give the fans the content they crave, is a winning combination for everyone involved.”
