In the network's first creative package of this kind, Lifetime is serving up a customized sponsorship for Outback in support of the restaurant chain's "15 meals for under $15" campaign and its movie nights.
The "Live Adventurous, Love Adventurous" vignettes highlight the custom, co-branded package in which Outback will sponsor Lifetime's airing of theatricals Footloose and Management on Feb. 3 and March 3, respectively. Deal terms were not disclosed.
Introduced by Jessie Pavelka, the host of Lifetime's original reality series Diet Tribe and the star of its original telefilm 12 Men of Christmas, the Outback movie nights will feature a quartet of one-minute content segments that will run every half hour. On Feb. 3, the content will feature a married couple trying to rekindle their romance, while the following month the segment follows a pair on a blind date, according to David DeSocio, senior vice president of Lifetime Partnerships
Naturally, each couple's "dating adventure" includes dinner Outback, where the couples enjoy its new menu items.
"This is content customized for both brands," said DeSocio. "It works well for Outback and is something we think will appeal to our viewers."
The segments, opening up their respective pods, are then followed by a bumper message of "brought to you by Outback," before the chain's 30-second spots screen.
Additionally, snipes will run during the theatricals pointing viewers toward, myLifetime.com, where Outback is sponsoring a complimentary custom matching game and an instant win sweepstakes revolving around its 15 under $15 menu. Users will be able to click, flip, and match cards for a chance to play and win an array of cash and gift card prizes.
Lifetime executive vice president of ad sales Debbie Richman said that Outback has been a "good partner" to the women's-targeted service via the ad schedules it has ran on the network and this deeper creative component has taken that partnership to a new level. The "Live Adventurous, Love Adventurous" segments grew out the client's request for proposal issued last spring.
Richman said the service, which is open to working with Outback and others on similar sponsorships, was scheduled to film segments for a different client this past weekend.
"Clients are looking to get more bang for their buck and are looking to secure relationships with fewer network partners," noted Richman. "These types of creative elements are here and not going away."
