WalMart, expanding its presenting sponsorship of ABC’s coverage of the CMA Awards into digital and social media, will be the sponsor of The CMA Awards: All Access, which will stream exclusively on Twitter before and during the high-rated country music event Wednesday.
As part of a package put together by Disney|ABC's unified sales team, Walmart is also presenting a special rendition of the 60s song GetTogether, which has been featured in Walmart advertising. A spot featuring the song and a multi-cultural cast gained attention by airing after the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville Va., earlier this year, offering a message of inclusiveness and kindness.
During the CMAs, GetTogether will be performed by award nominees Dan + Shay and Lauren Alaina. Walmart will get mentions leading up to and following the performance. Viewers will beencouraged to share their reaction to the song and their thoughts on how music brings people together using the hashtag #GetTogether.
Another presenting sponsor, Chevrolet, ABC’s exclusive automotive sponsor of the CMAs, will be integrated into the awards show.
Chevy Trucks is marketing its 100th anniversary and is running a 90 second spot highlighting “Memorable Moments” showing a couple as they go through their life—college, kids—with a Chevy truck. The spot feature an appearance Luke Bryan uses his song What Makes You Country as its soundtrack.
“The Chevy Truck Centennial has really been a celebration about our customers and what their trucks mean to them and I think we capture that perfectly in ‘Life Moments with Chevrolet’ and Luke Bryan’s new song What Makes You Country provides the right soundtrack for those important life moments,” said Paul Edwards, U.S. VP of Chevrolet Marketing.
Also during the show, singer Carrie Underwood will throw to a pre-taped piece featuring her co-host Brad Paisley on the red carpet with two Chevy Trucks. Paisley will introduce the nominees for Best New Artist award—an award sponsored by Chevy-- from the red carpet. A bumper with Chevy congratulating the winner of the Best New Artist award will air after the award is presented.
“This is a great high-profile platform for our partners to be associated with,” said Jerry Daniello, senior VP of integrated marketing at Disney|ABC Ad Sales. He said ad inventory in the award show was sold out.
Financial terms of the sponsorships were not disclosed.
The CMA Awards All Access, sponsored by Walmart will be streamed on Twitter starting at 6 p.m. ET and will be hosted by Kellie Pickler, Ben Aaron, Kelly Sutton and Clayton Anderson.
Using 10 cameras, All Access will offer viewers views from the Red Carpet before the awards show and behind the scenes during the broadcast. Twitter users can use the hashtag #CMAawards to tweet comments and questions. All four hosts will stream from the red carpet. Sutton and Anderson will continue the show, interviewing winners, presenters and performers live.
In partnership with Disney Digital Network, Walmart will also be sponsoring social media content created by Rudy Mancuso He will be at the Dan +Shay performance and will work with the group Love and Theft, which will perform their own version of Get Together.
Social content will be pushed out after the award show using the Disney Digital Network, Wal-Mart’s social media accounts and talent handles.
