MAM
Coca Cola, Ford back on ‘American Idol’
MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox has announced that Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola and Cingular Wireless will return as sponsors of its reality based show American Idol.
On 18 and 19 January the debut episode of the fourth season attracted a record-breaking 65.6 million viewers. Ford has been a leading supporter of the show since the show debuted in the US in 2002. Ford vehicles will again be featured during the “Idol” action, as contestants will be seen driving and riding in a variety of the automaker’s cars, trucks and SUVs.
The show will serve as the key platform to integrate Ford’s next generation of all-new vehicles, all built for the road ahead, including the 2005 Focus, Mustang, Freestyle and Escape. Ford will also give the winner of the show the keys to the 2005 Ford Mustang.
A variety of branded elements and programmes will connect Coca-Cola and fans of the show, while helping to bring them closer to the shows experience. The contestants will interact and prepare in an updated version of the popular Red Room. A series of Coca-Cola behind-the-scenes interstitials will provide viewers an insider’s perspective on what contestants experience as they work to Make the Dream Real.
During commercial breaks, viewers will also see Coca-Cola ads from the new “Make It Real” campaign, which debuted during the show’s season premiere. Other activities designed to provide consumers with a completely integrated show experience are planned for a variety of retail outlets in the US where Coca-Cola is available.
Meanwhile Cingular will highlight the suite of LG phones including the new F9100 handset, the perfect text voting phone from LG Mobile Phones, and showcase interactive text messaging through a variety of fun and engaging marketing activities. Fans can use their wireless handsets to text message their vote for their favorite contestants each week, chat with contestants, play interactive games, download ringtones and graphics and participate in weekly trivia contests, as well as enter the American Idol sweepstakes.
New to the scene is Cingular’s Fan Club Appreciation. Details of this new programme will be shared later in the season, so stay tuned!
Brands
ConfirmTkt rolls out 1 per cent cashback for summer train trips
Unlimited wallet rewards valid till 31 May boost holiday travel
GURUGRAM: ConfirmTkt has announced a limited period 1 per cent cashback offer aimed at making summer train travel a little lighter on the wallet.
The authorised B2C online train ticketing platform, part of the Ixigo Group, will credit 1 per cent cashback directly into users’ ConfirmTkt Wallet for every train ticket booked through its app. The offer runs until 31 May 2026, neatly covering the peak summer holiday rush.
There is no cap on how much cashback users can earn during the offer window. The credited amount can be redeemed on the next train booking within 90 days, making it particularly useful for families planning return journeys, students heading home for the holidays, or travellers ticking off multiple destinations in one season.
Importantly, the process is automatic. Cashback is credited after booking, with no codes to enter and no hoops to jump through, keeping the reward simple and seamless.
Ixigo Trains and ConfirmTkt CEO Dinesh Kumar Kotha, said summer remains one of the busiest travel seasons in India, as families, students and professionals take to the rails to reconnect and explore. He noted that by keeping the cashback uncapped and redemption straightforward, the company aims to help travellers extract greater value from both outbound and return trips during this high demand period.
Beyond the seasonal offer, ConfirmTkt continues to position itself as a tech driven, customer first platform. Its features include high accuracy waitlist prediction, nearby trains and alternate travel plan suggestions when seats are scarce, live train status updates, seamless PNR tracking, instant refunds, seat availability alerts and UPI enabled payments. Users can also order food on train for delivery to their seats at selected stations.
Taken together, the platform’s tools are designed to reduce uncertainty and add a layer of reassurance to rail journeys. With this summer cashback in play, ConfirmTkt is not just helping travellers book tickets, but giving them a small return ticket on their spending too.
