Exclusive: Syfy, Dodge Unmask Halloween Pact

Syfy has scared up some business with its October holiday stunts, signing Dodge as the presenting sponsor of its 31 Days of Halloween horror movie showcase and the six-hour Ghost Hunters Halloween Live special.Per terms of the deal, the Dodge Grand Caravan will play an integral role throughout the Ghost Hunters Live event, as the minivan’s technology will be used to enhance The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) team’s investigation. The special airs Halloween night from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.On the digital side, fans can join the ghost hunters via Dodge-branded online video feeds, live chats with TAPS team members and a “Panic Button” that allows viewers to alert the team to any paranormal activity they may encounter over the course of the night.Syfy’s annual 31 Days of Halloween franchise emerges from the darkness on Friday, Oct. 1 at 9 a.m., as the network unearths the 2000 vampire flick Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula. The Vlad the Impaler biopic stars Peter Weller (Robocop) and The Who’s Roger Daltrey.Among the hundreds of movies on Syfy’s October playlist are: the 2005 English horror film The Descent, the 2007 Sleepy Hollow spookfest Headless Horseman and four of the titles in the Leprechaun series, including the 1993 original, notable for featuring Jennifer Aniston in her first-ever acting role.The showcase also includes a handful of Syfy Saturday Original Movies. On Oct. 9, the net bows the Jason London vehicle Monsterwolf, while Oct. 30 marks the premiere of Red, starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Felicia Day as a werewolf-hunting descendant of Little Red Riding Hood.As the title sponsor of the film fest, Dodge will have a significant presence at the start of each movie and in traditional commercial pods. The Grand Caravan will also be featured across Syfy’s digital properties.“Halloween has always been a major event for our network, and we’re thrilled Dodge has partnered with us this October,” said Chris Czarkowski, vp, ad sales, Syfy. “Ghost Hunters Halloween Live is the perfect platform to bring to life the innovative technology behind the Dodge Grand Caravan.” In 2011, Dodge will release a half-dozen six all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles. In advance of the rollouts, the automaker will launch a comprehensive media campaign across national TV, radio and print.Last year, Dodge invested $275.9 million in measured media, a decline of 32 percent versus 2008, per Nielsen Ad*Views. Syfy closed out the third quarter of 2010 down 7 percent in total prime time deliveries, with an average nightly draw of 1.28 million viewers. Adults 18-49 dropped 13 percent to 556,000, while members of the 25-54 demo were off 12 percent from the year-ago period, with an average draw of 646,000.

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Exclusive: Syfy, Dodge Unmask Halloween Pact

Anthony Crupi

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Anthony Crupi