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ESPN unveils second phase of campaign for NASCAR

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After successfully launching its overall NASCAR marketing campaign in January, ESPN today announced phase two of the effort in support of the NASCAR Busch Series. The campaign features drivers Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Stephen Leicht along with 17 other Busch Series drivers and will run throughout the 35-race season.

"Our NASCAR Busch Series campaign brings a face and personality not only to the Busch Series but to the drivers as well," said Katie Lacey, senior vice president, marketing. "We're very pleased to have such talented drivers participate in the campaign."

NASCAR racing returns to the networks on February 17th with the Busch Series season-opener from Daytona International Speedway on ESPN2.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy New York, the three :30 spots present a character named Sergeant Doren who tries to impose the standard rules of the road to the race track. The campaign continues to bear ESPN's new NASCAR tagline, "NASCAR on ESPN: It's The Life."

Highlights include:

  • Sgt. Doren and Stephen Leicht get caught up in a misunderstanding of the correct driving distance between two cars.
  • Sgt. Doren grows concerned when he hears Carl Edwards proclaim that 150 mph is a much safer speed than 180 mph.
  • Sgt. Doren gets queasy in the passenger seat as he supervises Denny Hamlin practicing a course of orange pylon cones in the DMV parking lot.

The NASCAR Busch Series campaign will run on all ESPN networks and will include off-channel, outdoor, print and online.