Ford and its ad agency came up with the idea for the show and paid for its production. The four one-hour shows will include newsmagazine-like segments on sports, including a profile of a man trying to snowboard down some of the world's tallest mountains. Each episode will also include the ``Ford Explorer Sport Trac Challenge,'' a sporting competition with rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking and snowboarding.
Each programme will also include three minutes of Ford advertising and any vehicles are seen in the programme will be Fords.
Said Peter A. Schweitzer, president of Ford's ad agency, J. Walter Thompson USA: ``We know of no precedent for a branding idea evolving in this fashion - first into commercial messages ... then into an event, which has then become a television show.''
Ford Motor Co has launched an innovative marketing campaign whereby its TV commercials will be integrated with sports programming. In an unusual arrangement causing some concern about the merging of advertising and programming, Fox TV?s upcoming ``No Boundaries'' adventure sports TV series will strongly resemble the Ford ``No Boundaries'' advertising campaign for trucks.
