M&M'S(R) and NASCAR.COM Celebrate the Colorful Passion of NASCAR Fans

M&M'S(R) and NASCAR.COM Celebrate the Colorful Passion of NASCAR Fans

Gives Popular "Fan Generated" Contest a Tune-Up for the 2009 NASCAR Season

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Snackfood US and NASCAR.COM(R) announced today the kick off of the popular "The Most Colorful Fan(TM) of NASCAR Contest," which celebrates all of the enthusiastic NASCAR fans throughout the country. Just like America's favorite candy known for colorful chocolate fun, the contest: "M&M'S Seeks the Most Colorful Fan(TM) of NASCAR" recognizes, celebrates and rewards all NASCAR fans, no matter which driver they root for. The contest is hosted by NASCAR.COM, the official Web site of NASCAR.

Beginning with the Daytona 500 on February 15, and continuing for 24 weeks, fans can showcase their unmatched love for the sport, as well as their favorite teams and drivers, by uploading their most colorful racing-themed photos to www.NASCAR.com/MostColorfulFan. Fans can also share their own colorful photos with their family and friends, through a special "Send to a Friend" feature.

Through the contest page at NASCAR.COM, fans can also cast their vote to help choose the weekly winners, as well as three finalists who will vie for the title as The Most Colorful Fan(TM) of NASCAR. As NASCAR's elite head into The Chase for the Sprint Cup, the 24 weekly winners will compete head-to-head during the "Photo Playoffs," a three round elimination tournament where photos with the most fan votes advance to the next round until only three finalists remain.

"The Most Colorful Fan(TM) of NASCAR Contest was a huge success last year, which is why we're so excited about bringing it back in 2009," said Suzanne Beaudoin, vice president, Sponsorships and Sports Marketing, Mars North America. "We think the contest is so unique because everything is 'fan generated' - they upload and share their own photographs, as well as decide the weekly winners and the grand prize winner."

"NASCAR.COM is extremely pleased to again partner with Mars to extend this fan-favorite," commented Walker Jacobs, senior vice president of Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital. "We're always seeking innovative ways to allow our advertising partners to connect with our audiences, and The Most Colorful Fan(TM) was one of our most successful promotions. The contest leverages the NASCAR.COM community with user-generated content to allow them to interact with both brands in a totally new way."

"Focusing on fans, the core of our sport, is essential to NASCAR's success," said Jim O'Connell, vice president of Corporate Marketing for NASCAR. "M&M'S' 'Most Colorful Fan(TM) of NASCAR' is an outstanding promotion which brings out the passion and creativity of our fans, and rewards them in a fun and memorable way."

Each week of the contest, the votes submitted on NASCAR.COM will be tabulated and the photo with the highest average rating and a minimum number of votes will be selected as that week's winner. Each weekly winner will receive a $200 gift card and will also be automatically entered into the "Photo Playoffs" for a chance to win the grand prize, a VIP trip to the Sprint Cup Race in Homestead-Miami in November. In addition, this year's promotion features an instant-win game with two hundred (200) twenty-five dollar ($25.00) gift card instant-win prizes available.

M&M'S is the official chocolate of NASCAR. For more information about The Most Colorful Fan(TM) of NASCAR Contest, visit www.NASCAR.COM/MostColorfulFan.

About Mars Snackfood US:

Mars Snackfood US is the United States snack operations of Mars North America. With more than $7 billion in annual sales in the United States, Mars North America includes food, snack and pet care segments, which are a symbol of excellence for quality brands. Headquartered in Mount Olive, N.J., Mars North America employs more than 12,000 associates in the United States, with 54 facilities nationwide. Mars Snackfood US, headquartered in Hackettstown, N.J., includes some of the world's favorite brands such as DOVE(R) Brand Chocolate, M&M'S(R) Brand, MILKY WAY(R) Brand, SKITTLES(R) Brand, SNICKERS(R) Brand, COMBOS(R) Snack, STARBURST(R) Brand, 3 MUSKETEERS(R) Brand, TWIX(R) Brand and more. Additional popular brands in the petcare and food segments for Mars North America include UNCLE BEN'S(R) Brand, PEDIGREE(R) Brand Food for Dogs, and WHISKAS(R) Brand Food for Cats. Please visit www.mars.com.

About NASCAR.COM:

Turner Sports acquired all of NASCAR's interactive rights in October 2000 and became the exclusive producer of NASCAR.COM in January 2001. The official online destination of the NASCAR, the site consistently ranks among the top three sport league sites on the Internet. In 2008 NASCAR.COM was awarded a Global Media Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for RaceBuddy as the outstanding interactive platform of the year. The site has also earned an Emmy(R) for its TrackPass with PitCommand application in 2003.

Turner Sports, Inc., a Time Warner company, presents some of the best and most popular sporting events worldwide and is a leader in televised and online sports programming. With events airing on TBS and TNT, Turner Sports' line-up includes NASCAR and NASCAR.COM, the NBA, Major League Baseball, professional golf, PGATour.com and PGA.com. Turner Sports also manages NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, WNBA.com, NBADLeague.com and NBA League Pass.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter "M&M'S(R) SEEKS THE MOST COLORFUL FAN(TM) OF NASCAR" CONTEST. Contest open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and D.C., age 18 or older, with Internet access as of 2/13/09. Subject to Official Rules and void where prohibited. Contest Entry Period starts 12:00:00am ET on 2/15/09 and ends 11:59:59pm ET on 8/1/09. Contest ends 10/5/09. For Official Rules and entry instructions, send a SASE to: "M&M'S(R) SEEKS THE MOST COLORFUL FAN(TM) OF NASCAR" CONTEST, P.O. Box 11487, Bozeman, MT 59719-1487 (VT residents may omit postage) or log on to www.nascar.com/mostcolorfulfan. All federal, state and local rules apply. Sponsors: Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. and Mars Snackfood US, LLC.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "M&M'S(R) Checkered Flag Instant Win Game". Game open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C., age 18 or older as of 2/15/09, with a valid email address as of 2/13/09. Subject to full Official Rules and void where prohibited. Promotion Period starts 12:00:01 AM ET on 2/15/09 and ends 11:59:59 PM ET on 8/1/09. Additional restrictions and terms apply. For full Official Rules and entry instructions, go to https://mmscheckeredflag.icmodus.com/. All federal, state and local rules apply. Sponsors: Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. and Mars Snackfood US, LLC. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Mars Snackfood US

CONTACT: Ryan Bowling of Mars Snackfood US, +1-908-850-2396,
ryan.bowling@effem.com; or Russ Dyer of Weber Shandwick, +1-312-988-2384,
rdyer@webershandwick.com, for Mars Snackfood US; or Deborah McBride of Turner
Broadcasting System, Inc., +1-212-275-6752, deborah.mcbride@turner.com

Web Site: http://www.mars.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment