Tune in to Escape Routes

Ford brand is venturing into the reality television production business with a new show called “Escape Routes” that will promote the 2013 Escape crossover, which arrives in dealerships this May.Starting March 31, the series will air for six consecutive weeks at 8 p.m. ET Saturday nights on NBC and at 11 p.m. on a Hispanic network called mun2. The interactive series, which will invite fans to participate online, will feature six teams of two participating in a road-trip competition driving Escapes. Ford announced plans earlier today.The teams will perform various tasks and interact with online followers. At each stop, the teams will interact with followers online to “tap into the fabric of the local culture,” the company said in a press release.

Dealers in each city will have the opportunity for advertising tie-ins, says Crystal Worthem, Ford brand content and alliance manager. The cities are: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Miami and Atlanta.

“Escape Routes” is the latest extension of Ford’s aggressive push into social media marketing, a campaign being spearheaded by Jim Farley, group vice president of global marketing sales and service. Earlier efforts included the Fiesta Movement from 2010 and Focus Rally from 2011. The difference is that those two campaigns were online only. “Escape Routes” will air on a prime time network television.