OVERLAND PARK, KAN. (Top40 Charts/ Vidal Partnership) - Sprint (NYSE: S) continues its unprecedented sponsorship of one of the most popular rock en español bands, MANÁ, and launches an extensive multimedia campaign providing its subscribers unique and compelling mobile entertainment and fan opportunities as the band kicks off its U.S. Tour. MANÁ's upcoming U.S. Tour, 'Amar es Combatir' (i.e., 'Love is war/struggle'), starts on Feb. 9 in San Diego, Calif., and takes the band to more than 11 cities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
"Sprint understands the importance of providing our Hispanic customers with compelling new ways to enjoy the powerful mobile entertainment services that Sprint Power VisionSM offers," said Isaac Mizrahi, director of multicultural marketing for Sprint. "As the exclusive wireless sponsor of MANÁ's U.S. Tour, we can deliver Latin music fans access to unique Spanish-language content, content they will only find on Sprint.'
The Sprint sponsorship of the band's tour is part of a larger, integrated campaign that includes a national 'Vive MANÁ' sweepstakes, advertisements (broadcast and online) and in-store promotions in key Hispanic markets, and the opportunity to access an exclusive MANÁ Fan Club Destination on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (standard Vision and text-messaging charges apply).
'Wireless is the new way for fans to discover and enjoy our music and we are thrilled that Sprint is sponsoring our tour in the United States and Puerto Rico,' said Fher Olvera, lead singer of MANÁ. 'The on-the-go nature of wireless allows our fans to follow the tour, download our music and watch our videos, access behind the scenes content, and experience the tour in new and exciting ways.'
Sprint fans will have the power to enjoy the ultimate MANÁ entertainment experience in the following ways:
- "Vive MANA" National Sweepstakes: Launched on Jan. 14, the Sprint sweepstakes provides the opportunity for a lucky winner to get a rock-star-inspired VIP weekend with five of his/her friends, including first-class flight and accommodations to attend one of MANA's "Amar es Combatir" tour concerts later this year and exclusive benefits such as the chance to meet the band face to face.
- To enter the sweepstakes, text the word "MANA" to 5678 (standard text-messaging rates apply); send a 3" x 5" postcard with the following hand-written information - name (first and last), address (no P.O. Box), date of birth and a telephone number where you can be reached during the day, to: VIVE MANA SWEEPSTAKES, P.O. Box 7928, Melville, NY 11775-7928; or visit the Web site, www.sprint.com/mana.
- The entry deadline is March 31; one lucky winner will be randomly selected and notified in May 2007. See below for details.*
- The MANA Concert Experience: At the concerts, MANA fans can enjoy multiple Sprint-sponsored pre-concert events, including access to street teams offering Sprint-branded premiums (i.e., T-shirts, posters, etc.), and the opportunity to participate in a seat-upgrade program and text-to-screen at select concerts.
- MANA Fan Club Destination: Sprint has also unveiled a MANA Fan Club Destination in partnership with Warner Music Group on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. This one-of-a-kind fan destination was designed to give MANA fans an exclusive menu of options to experience never-before-seen Spanish-language content, including video interviews and streaming music videos, directly on their Sprint Power Vision phones. This exclusive content complements other Sprint offers, including over-the-air full-song downloads, ringers, videos, screensavers and much more. To access the MANA Fan Club Destination, customers can simply text "MANA" to 5678 using Sprint or Nextel service (standard text-messaging rates apply).
- Integration: On Jan. 22, Sprint debuted nationally a 30-second commercial, titled "Airport" that integrates the legendary band and demonstrates the ease in which MANA fans can experience MANA on Sprint Power Vision phones. And, as a testament to the relationship, MANA integrated Sprint into their recent music video "Manda una Senal," which is about a girl who, mistreated by her current boyfriend, finds herself interested in someone new. The girl sends a picture mail to her new "friend" of where she is throughout the city.
Sprint reaches more people than any other carrier with its mobile broadband network (EV-DO), which reaches more than 200 million people nationwide. The mobile broadband network allows users to access audio, video and data applications with handheld and connection-card devices. For more on Sprint offerings for the Hispanic community, please visit www.sprint.com/laredpowervision.
