The days of businesses just running a simple television advertisement adjacement to a sporting event are long over. For real impact, integration is the key to additional eyeballs.

It appeared the Fox Sports sales team worked hard over the weekend to incoporate one auto dealer into its pre-game show.

Ford, looking to improve its image, positioned itself closer to the National Football league in week six.  During the NFL Pre-game show on Fox Sports this week, the automobile company incorporated its sponsorship in the following ways:

* In studio exposure with a shot of the Ford Taurus left of screen as well as an image right below Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshow, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson and Curt Menefee.

* The pre-game show was called “the Ford, Drive One Fox NFL Sunday Pre-Game Show” Which Menefee said on-air.

* There was a hosted Ford Taurus Game Day House Party.

* One person from the House Party would win a Ford Taurus and also be rewarded with a trip to the Fox Studios.  They also announced the winner on the show.

* The partnership also featured a lead in bumper to the commercials after the break, encouraging football fans to go to foxsports.com/fordtaurus and sign up for the Taurus winning drive sweepstakes.  Only later did we learn with a graphic on the screen that the contest ends on Halloween, better known as October 31st.

A Ford logo was posted at the bottom of the screen during the third segment of the pre-game show while a ticker ran across featuring the game times of many of the NFL games for week 6.

* Ford logos also appeared in the background when Menefee spoke about the Giants-Saints game.  At one point I counted almost 19 full or partial logos on the TV during a shot of Menefee and Bradshaw.  In any angle that showcased the studio broadcasters, there was some image of the automobile company for the viewer to see.

* Ford also ran two traditional commercials within the show, one  following the opening segment and a second one later on.

*At the end of the pre-game show, it was revealed at Mary Gonzales from Winter Garden, FL was the winner of the Game Day Sweepstakes.  She walked off with a new automobile and a trip to the Fox Sports studio.

While Ford was the title sponsor, they were not the only sponsorship sold by Fox Sports  during the pre-game show.  State Farm had its own segment with banners and mentions.

Even Coors Light got into the integration game by sponsoring Frank Caliendo’s segment:  Frank’s Cold Hard Picks:  Coors Light had branding in the visual leading into the segment

The City of Hope also received exposure  for charitable initiative and a partnership with Fox Sports