Wendy's Finds A New Way to Buy Into Reality TV

Many companies have bought in to reality television on shows like the Apprentice. They fork over the money, and their brand gets some love in one way or another on the show. For The Apprentice, this typically means the teams work on a project for the paying brand. For other reality shows, in particular anything on MTV, the sponsors provide the prize for a challenge or outfit the competitors in their gear.

However, tonight, I saw a marketer buy into reality TV in a different way. Most of the bikes made on American Choppers are for corporations. They hire Orange County Choppers to make them a bike, and as a result, end up on the show. What's unique, is that the company isn't buying in through the network, they are buying in through the subjects of the show.

The bike OCC finished tonight was for Wendy's Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. By commissioning this bike, Wendy's gets national airtime on a show that targets one of their key demographics, and also promotes its image and the charity. Wendy's also bought lots of commercials during the show to give more weight to the exposure. Pretty cool way to get some love on national TV.