Jun 27, 2007 6:05 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Amy Johannes

Brand reps talk up the Live Earth concert series with premiums and bike patrols

Microsoft’s MSN.com is kicking off its sponsorship of the upcoming Live Earth concert series with a host of promotions, including earth-friendly premiums and sweepstakes.

The company has launched a promotional site at LiveEarth.MSN.com around the cause marketing initiative. It includes details on Live Earth and access to live, on-demand concerts, tips on being green, photo galleries and video clips.

MSN.com is the online media sponsor of the Live Earth concerts. The 24-hour concert series, which kicks off July 7 on seven continents, will bring together more than 100 musicians to raise awareness of global warming. The event is expected to draw more than 2 billion viewers.

To plug the event, the company gave away five pairs of concert tickets, hotel accommodations and airfare as part of its MSN Live Earth sweepstakes. The promotion continues for a chance to win a trip to Australia. Participants who watch video clues on LiveEarth.MSN.com and answer trivia questions about climate crisis and green information will be entered to win.

MSN.com is tapping celebrities and environmental activists to film video clues for the promotion.

The sweepstakes is available at LiveEarth.MSN.com/community. To enter, people answer three questions correctly based on MSN Live Earth Challenge Web stories.

One grand-prize winner gets a six-night trip to Australia to stay in a real-life tree house, $800 cash and a $500 online gift certificate for travel apparel or $10,000 and a $500 gift certificate.

The Australia Eco sweepstakes runs through Aug. 15.

“We have so much information on ways you can be green,” said Kristine Bangert, marketing manager, MSN. “We want to push people to MSN.com and learn about these things right now.”

At the site, an online game called “Earth Eco Effects” teaches people about climate change.

In addition, MSN.com will send five people to the U.S. concert, which takes place in Giants Stadium in New Jersey, under its Green Theater: A Live Earth Video Contest. During the promotion, which ended, June 23, people uploaded one- to two-minute videos that answered the question “What are you doing in your own backyard to help fight climate change? Winners will be announced this week.

MSN.com also has roadsters traveling across the country by train and bike chronicling their adventures on Windows Live Spaces on a blog. Along the way, the group is planting trees, talking to local officials and promoting what steps consumers can take to make a difference. The effort is part of the Windows Live Spaces Eco Trip.

The blog can be accessed at SpacesEcoTrip.Spaces.Live.com.

“We’re trying to drive home the messaging,” said Karin Muskopf, product manager, MSN & Windows Live. “There are so many different things people can do.”

Consumers who add themselves as “friends” on the site can enter for a chance to attend the Live Earth concert.

Street teams are also hitting the pavement on bikes with a clock counting down the time to the Live Earth concert. Reps are handing out 25,000 seed cards shaped like butterflies (Microsoft’s iconic symbol) in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. The cards turn into flowers when planted.

Mr. Youth designed and developed the promotional sites and handles sweepstakes fulfillment. MSN created the Live Earth content site in-house.

For more coverage on games, contests & sweepstakes

For more coverage on entertainment marketing

DON'T MISS AN ISSUE! PROMO Magazine provides insights into using promotion marketing as strategic, measurable component of an overall marketing mix. DON'T MISS OUT on "how-to" information on strategies and tactics successful marketers use to improve product sales and brand image. Renew your subscription Subscribe to the magazine Sign up for email newsletters

A panel of professionals answers your questions. Submit your questions.
		Michael McKelvie Gift Cards and Reward Cards
		Bob Bell Tie-in Partnerships
		Dave Hunt Rebates
		Bruce Hollander Sweepstakes
		Joel Parent Interactive
		Become an Expert More Info