CART, Target partnership gives movie-goers a taste of Champ Car Racing
10 August 1999
DETROIT-- When you next sit down in your cushy seat at the movie theater, begin munching your jumbo tub of popcorn and prepare to watch the feature presentation, you could very well come face-to-face with Championship Auto Racing Teams' FedEx Championship Series.The Michigan-based open-wheel sanctioning organization and Target stores have teamed to produce a special 60-second advertisement that is being broadcast in movie theaters in nine markets across the country through the end of August.
In AMC and GCC theaters in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Eugene, Ore., Cleveland, St. Louis and Milwaukee, movie-goers will see Champ Car racing on the big screen as part of a month-long in-cinema campaign.
The commercial is in 217 theaters on 1,472 screens in those cities and the CART message is expected to be viewed by a total of 6.8 million movie patrons.
"We wanted to reach people who are active, who often go out to do things, and individuals who like to be entertained," said CART Marketing Director Andy Guest. "This advertising reaches a good mix of men and women in a relaxed setting. Our sport is very visually stimulating, entertaining and extremely exciting, as can be seen in the commercial, and this message is intended to help raise the overall level of awareness for Champ Car racing and the FedEx Championship Series. It is very compelling on the big screen of a movie theater."
Target developed the advertisement through its in-house creative group. CART joined with the Minneapolis-based company, which sponsors the Target/Chip Ganassi Racing Team on the 20-race circuit, to purchase the in-cinema time. The Target team has won the past three series championships and the PPG Cups that are awarded to the champion and currently leads the points standings through the efforts of rookie Colombian driver Juan Montoya.
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. owns, operates and markets the FedEx Championship Series, which is comprised of 20 races in five countries on four continents in 1999. There also will be a non-points race held in Hawaii at the conclusion of the season, pushing the event total to 21. Drivers such as Michael Andretti, Gil de Ferran, Adrian Fernandez, Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta, Greg Moore, Al Unser, Jr., and Jimmy Vasser race 900-plus horsepower, open wheel cars at speeds of more than 230 miles per hour on some circuits. CART also owns and operates its top two development series, the PPG Dayton Indy Lights Championship and the KOOL Toyota Atlantic Championship.
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