Starbucks, Sprint Among Sponsors of NBC's THE VOICE Season 2

By: Jan. 31, 2012
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Three premier advertisers have signed on as official sponsors of season two of THE VOICE, NBC's hit singing competition premiering February 5 after the Super Bowl. Kia Motors, Sprint and Starbucks Coffee Company will appear throughout the season in a series of on-air integrations, branding opportunities and extensive digital programs. All three sponsors will appear in THE VOICE's post Super Bowl episode.

Jim Hoffman, executive vice president, Sales & Marketing, NBC said, "We are thrilled that Kia Motors and Starbucks will be joining Sprint as our partners for the second season of 'The Voice.' Each of these brands has the unique opportunity to be a part of one of this season's most anticipated programs and their involvement also helps add new consumer experiences to the show."

As part of its sponsorship, Kia will feature the 2012 Sorento CUV. The popular crossover car will have a strong presence in the battle rounds, where the artists will be seen driving in Sorentos and using Kia's UVO voice-activated infotainment and communications system to receive last minute advice from their mentors, friends and family. Online, consumers can view a series of webisodes featuring a day in the life of season one finalist Dia Frampton, following her as she drives a Sorento to a performance, a press interview and other events from her exciting new career.

"Kia is one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S. and partnering with 'The Voice' provides a powerful platform to reach a massive audience in the season premiere following the Super Bowl and throughout the entire second season," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "The Sorento CUV, built at our manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, continues to be wildly popular, and demonstrating its compelling combination of world-class design, outstanding fuel efficiency and cutting-edge technologies in a high-profile program like 'The Voice' will further our efforts to increase consumer perception, awareness and consideration for the brand."

Sprint, which has been with THE VOICE from the beginning as the show's first official sponsor, is returning this year in an expanded role. Sprint will again serve as the sponsor of the Social Media Room and expand its voting sponsorship to encompass all platforms: on-air, on NBC.com, on Facebook, on NBC's synched-to-broadcast second screen experience NBC Live, and mobile. The Sprint Social Media Room will allow fans to keep track of the latest social chatter from comments on Facebook, Twitter and nbc.com, all in one online destination. Fans can also log on to NBC Live or go online during the show to chat with other fans, receive exclusive behind-the-scenes information and trivia, and take show-related polls in real time with each on-air episode. In addition, a special online live stream will be available on nbc.com after each live performance show with social media correspondent Christina Milian, who will answer fan questions and comments. Sprint will be providing mobile phones and tablets for each of the contestants, mentors and coaches.

"Sprint is thrilled to return for the second season of 'The Voice,' and we look forward to enhancing the viewers' ability to socially connect around a program they love," said Andrea Molette, director of media for Sprint. "Only Sprint delivers a truly unlimited pricing plan, so fans of 'The Voice' can use their mobile device to vote, share content and go online for updates without extra charges or data speed reductions."

Starbucks, with its rich heritage of helping communities thrive through education, mentorship and service, will leverage this collaboration to help support the creation of exclusive online content that will feature "The Voice" artists focusing on ways to serve local communities. During the live shows, "The Voice" artists and coaches will enjoy a full array of hot and iced Starbucks® beverages, and a special Starbucks® café will be available in the Friends and Family waiting area during the show's Blind Audition phase.

"Music has long been a part of the coffeehouse heritage and Starbucks Experience," said Terry Davenport, senior vice president, Marketing, Starbucks. "This collaboration will leverage our shared values – music and community – for opportunities to make a positive impact across the country through inspirational videos reaching millions of people."

THE VOICE returns Sunday, February 5, 2012 (10-11 pm/ET) with the strongest vocalists from across the country invited to compete in the blockbuster vocal competition show's second season. Celebrity musician coaches Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton return, along with Carson Daly as host and Christina Milian who joins as social correspondent. The show's innovative format features three stages of competition: the blind audition, the battle phase and the live performance shows. In the end, each coach will have one star artist ready to compete against the other teams' finalists to be named "The Voice." The winner will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.

THE VOICE is a presentation of Mark Burnett's One Three Inc., Talpa Content USA, Inc. and Warner Horizon Television. The series is created by John de Mol, who executive-produces along with Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Stijn Bakkers and Lee Metzger.



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