NASCAR Advertiser Pep Boys Asks Fans to Watch the Race, Not Just Commercials
PHILADELPHIA--July 27, 2001--Pep Boys , the nation's leading full-service automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, is taking a unique approach to this weekend's Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race.
Instead of trying to focus fan attention on its ads, the company is asking fans to stay focused on the race itself. By doing so, Pep Boys hopes to give NASCAR fans more of what they tuned in for -- an interactive experience and an opportunity to win NASCAR prizes without missing any of the action on the track.
"Until now, various sweepstakes forced fans to look for specific ads or to get codes and log on to their computers in order to win, but that took people out of their seats and away from the race," said Bill Furtkevic, director of marketing communications for Pep Boys. "We didn't want to do that, so Pep Boys worked to incorporate the `Watch, Match and Win Sweepstakes' into the race itself, allowing fans to give 100 percent of their attention to the event."
The concept is simple: periodic race standings announcements will help determine winners among fans watching the race on TNT all across America.
In the weeks leading up to the race, Pep Boys customers have been able to (and still can) pick up game pieces at their local Pep Boys. During the race, each time TNT posts a "Pep Boys Leaderboard," fans should check to see if the image revealed under the "Match This" square on their game piece matches any of the images displayed on the screen. If they do, the ticket holder will win the prize listed in the "Win This" column.
Fans unable to watch the live broadcast can receive the Pep Boys Leaderboard winning images via mail.
Pep Boys will give away thousands of prizes on race day, including the Grand Prize of a NASCAR Three Race Tour consisting of four-day/three-night trips for two to three 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup races. Other prizes include driving classes at the Richard Petty Driving School, Pennsylvania 500 Gift Packs, free oil changes, hats, t-shirts, gift certificates and more.
The Pennsylvania 500 is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time this Sunday, July 29. The race, which will be held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., is the 20th in the 36-race Winston Cup Series and will feature a field of the top NASCAR drivers including fan favorites Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and last year's Pennsylvania 500 champion, Rusty Wallace. Fans should tune in to TNT to catch all the action.
About TNT
Turner Network Television, currently seen in 81.8 million homes, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s 24-hour, advertiser-supported service offering original motion pictures and miniseries; original series, nonfiction specials and live events; contemporary films from the world's largest film library, the combined Turner and Warner Bros. film libraries; exciting NASCAR, NBA, Wimbledon Tennis, PGA golf and WUSA soccer action; exclusive coverage of the 2001 Goodwill Games; and popular television series.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.
About Pep Boys
Pep Boys, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, operates 629 stores and over 6,500 service bays in 36 states and Puerto Rico. Along with its vehicle repair and maintenance capabilities, the company also serves the commercial auto parts delivery market and is one of the leading sellers of replacement tires in the United States. Customers can find the nearest location by calling 800/PEP-BOYS or by visiting pepboys.com.