Roger Darnell
DWA for ATTIK
1.828.264.8898

Cindy McLean
Manager, Press, CMT
1.615.335.8404

For Immediate Release

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO – (Apr. 4, 2005) – Global creative agency ATTIK (www.attik.com) today detailed a humorous package of new commercial ads that recently debuted as part of their ongoing, cross-platform campaign promoting the 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS event, which premieres live from Nashville on Mon., Apr. 11.

The three new :30 broadcast spots entitled “Wheel,” “Catapult” and “Mechanical Bull” feature renowned comedian Jeff Foxworthy, the host of the 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, inviting viewers to cast their votes.  Each spot has debuted on CMT over the past two weeks, and “Wheel” and “Catapult” begin airing today on Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Nick@Night, Spike, TV Land and VH1, where they will continue to run through Apr. 11.

ATTIK’s project team, led by president Will Travis and award-winning creative director Wayne Hanson, included copywriters Andy Beach and Ariel Lustig and producer Ray Barnes.  ATTIK brought in Michael Chavez of LA-based Backyard Productions to direct the commercials.

“Wayne Hanson and the creative team focused on the irreverent qualities of the show, helping to reinforce its place as the most wildly creative, unexpected party in country music,” said Michael Engleman, CMT’s Vice President, Creative, who oversaw the project together with James Hitchcock, CMT’s Vice President, Creative and Marketing.  “Together, we found a way to fuse Foxworthy's brand of humor with the show's core notion – it’s the only fan-voted awards show in country.”

Along with inviting viewers to participate, the creative also had the challenge of appealing across CMT’s broad target demographic of adults aged 18 to 49. 

“This was a totally through the line project for ATTIK,” Wayne Hanson began.  “Along with the themes of Nash-Vegas and rhinestone bling which we employed in all campaign materials, we also came up with the ‘CMT E-Z voting wheel’ to help people decide who to vote for.  Having Jeff present in the spots as folks creatively consider their decisions made for a very funny batch of ads that we hope will prompt viewers to tune-in and participate in this extraordinary show.”

The 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, promising live performances from Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson, premieres live on Monday, Apr. 11 at 8:00 p.m. EDT and 7:00 p.m. CDT – and at 9:00 p.m. MDT and 8:00 p.m. PDT (tape delayed).

ATTIK’s high-profile cross-media advertising campaign, integrating broadcast, radio, print and point-of-sale elements to promote the 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, debuted its first elements in late February. 

In addition to Michael Chavez, other team members for Backyard Productions include executive producer Kris Mathur, line producer Anton Maille and director of photography Peter Selesnick.  For FilmCore in San Francisco, project credits include editors Tim Fender and Brian Lagerhausen.  LA-based artist Eric Henry Michael Barron created the project’s 3D elements.  Telecine was handled by Dave Hussey and Rob Sciarratta at Santa Monica’s Company 3.

The spot’s music was composed by Hector Perez of Music Orange in San Francisco, where Blaise Smith is executive producer.  Sound design was courtesy of Steve Dewey and Marcus Brown of LA’s Machine Head, and the final mix was handled by Mark Pitchford at San Francisco’s M Squared. 

About ATTIK
ATTIK (www.attik.com) is a global creative agency committed to designing extraordinary creative experiences that inspire consumers through compelling communications.  ATTIK's strategic planning, design, advertising, production, client service and young-adult research expertise have driven success across an array of consumer product and service categories.  ATTIK articulates corporate brand strategy, designs creative solutions for advertising, below-the-line and online media, ensuring target audiences are vitally connected to every facet of its clients' brands.  For inquiries, please call Ric Peralta (Ric@attik.com) at +1-415-284-2600.

About CMT
CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos.  Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches 77.1 million households in the United States.  Go to country music's biggest web site at www.CMT.com.