Sears, Toyota, And Glad Serve Up Advertising Sponsorships For The New Season Of The Culinary Arts Series Premiering Wednesday, October 18 Bravo Renews Its Overall Series Partnership With Food & Wine Magazine For The Second Season Of TOP CHEF
Bravo announced yesterday that it has inked partnerships with Sears, Toyota, and Glad for full advertising sponsors for the second season of Bravo′s hit one-hour reality competition series TOP CHEF, which returns Wednesday, October 18 at 11:00 p.m. TOP CHEF moves to its regular 10:00 p.m. weekly timeslot on Wednesday, October 25.
Bravo also continues its overall series partnership with Food & Wine magazine to include the expertise of the publication′s Gail Simmons as a regular on-air judge, and prizing for the winner of TOP CHEF to be featured in an upcoming issue of Food & Wine and appear at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
"We continue to develop exciting multi-platform opportunities for our promotional partners to bring consumer awareness and exposure to their brands, while also further delivering ways for viewers to engage and interact with TOP CHEF, said Shari Post, Vice President, Ad Sales, Bravo.
Integrated product sponsorships for the new season also include TGI Friday's, Nestle, Kraft, Bailey's, Korbel, Calphalon, and Pepsi. The partnerships with Sears, Toyota, and Glad include prizing and significant in-show integration, providing both valuable exposure for the brands and effective creative content and products for TOP CHEF.
Sears and Glad will also sponsor the TOP CHEF Foodie Flyaway sweepstakes, which will award one winner with a trip to the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen next June 2007. The winner will also be awarded a Kenmore Pro kitchen and a generous supply of Glad products. Viewers can go to BravoTV.com between December 18, 2006 and January 15, 2007 to enter.
Bravo′s newest hit reality competition series TOP CHEF offers a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of world-class cookery and the restaurant business at the highest level. The series features fifteen aspiring chefs who compete for their shot at culinary stardom and the chance to earn the prestigious title of TOP CHEF. Each episode holds two challenges for the chefs. The first is a quickfire test of their basic abilities and the second is a more involved elimination challenge designed to test the versatility and invention of the chefs as they take on unique culinary trials such as working with unusual and exotic foods or catering for a range of demanding clients. The competing chefs live and breathe the high-pressure lifestyle that comes with being a master chef, and each week someone is asked to "pack up their knives" and go home.
Best-selling author Padma Lakshmi will host the new season. Tom Colicchio, one of the culinary world′s most celebrated figures and co-founder of New York City′s Gramercy Tavern and Craft Restaurants, serves as lead judge and head chef to the competing chefs. Food expert Gail Simmons of Food & Wine magazine is as a judge for the series.
Elements of the advertiser sponsorships surrounding TOP CHEF include:
SEARS
The winner of TOP CHEF will be awarded with a state-of-the-art Kenmore PRO Kitchen provided by Sears.
TOP CHEF will feature the Kenmore Kitchen, a top-of-the-line main kitchen set outfitted with Kenmore appliances including Kenmore PRO cooktops, warming drawers, double wall ovens, twin refrigerators and Kenmore Elite microwaves. Built for the set located in downtown Los Angeles, the Kenmore Kitchen serves as the anchor location for the second season.
Sears will feature TOP CHEF tune-in in their national circular.
Sears will feature TOP CHEF in a direct mail piece distributed to their customer mailing list.
Sears.com will feature an exclusive TOP CHEF photo gallery and link back to BravoTV.com.
Will create TOP CHEF themed commercials to air exclusively during "Top Chef."
Official co-sponsors of the TOP CHEF Foodie Flyaway sweepstakes.
Sears Kenmore will sponsor various TOP CHEF features on BravoTV.com.
TOYOTA
Five Toyota RAV 4 vehicles served as the primary means of transportation on TOP CHEF, with the competing chefs using the vehicles to make their way around Southern California for challenges and shopping.
GLAD
Glad will sponsor the $100,000 cash prize for the TOP CHEF winner to use to help seed their culinary career.
Glad products were used by the competing chefs throughout the series, including GladWare containers, Glad Force-Flex trash bags and Glad Press ′n Seal Wrap.
Official co-sponsors of the TOP CHEF Foodie Flyaway sweepstakes.
