Dedicated prime-time music show a first for e.tv

Fanta and MTV base have renewed the marketing partnership for their successful MTV base VJ Search and World Chart Express campaign back for a second year, partnering for the first time with e.tv to leverage the channel's popularity and reach across South Africa's mass youth audience.

The 360-degree partnership builds on the success of last year's campaign by combining integrated TV sponsorship with off-air marketing support, a major retail and point-of-sale presence, prominent on-pack promotion, on-the-ground events and a nationwide contest offering a major prize: a contract to be the host of the MTV base World Chart Express TV show served up by Fanta.

Second season

Comments Alex Okosi, VM and GM at MTV Networks Africa, "In its second season, MTV base World Chart Express will build on the concept MTV base and Fanta pioneered so successfully in 2005. In Season 1, the MTV base World Chart Express campaign captured the imagination of young South Africans by combining a chart-oriented music show, featuring contemporary hits from around the world alongside African stars, with an open search to find an MTV VJ to win the chance to present the show.

"We are very excited about this year's campaign because the VJ search will be open to a wider audience as English is the only language requirement.'

The two-phase MTV base World Chart Express campaign kicks off in September 2006 with a four-city 'VJ Search' visiting Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, and for the first time, Port Elizabeth.

Highlights

Highlights of the VJ hunts from each city, featuring the four finalists, will then be screened in the network premiere of the weekly MTV base World Chart Express, flighting on 1 November on e.tv at 9.30pm CAT and on MTV base (DStv Channel 88) at 8pm CAT. The winner will be announced during a 1-hour 'grand finale' on 8 November.

MTV base and Fanta first forged their partnership in 2005 with the first series of MTV base World Chart Express and a 3-city VJ search that discovered the talents of then unknown 21-year old Sizwe Dhlomo. Dhlomo gave up a career as a computer programmer to step into the limelight with MTV base World Chart Express, soon demonstrating a winning combination of verbal agility and a warm and attractive on-screen presence.

Since winning the contest a year ago, Dhlomo has become a well-known face on the South African music and entertainment scene, and has gone on to present other shows on MTV base, including MTV base's coverage of the MTV Europe Music Awards and MTV base Uncensored, the pro-social programme.

Dholomo has also interviewed contemporary stars from around the world, including Akon, John Legend, Sean Paul, Brickz and 2-Face.