Sprint Nextel teams up with NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

Sprint Nextel will debut its first TV commercial with celebrated driver Juan Pablo Montoya on June 18. As the premier sponsor of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, Sprint Nextel brings the sport of NASCAR closer to Hispanic consumers and uses the sport’s intensity to demonstrate the speed of Nextel’s products.

Titled “Gotera” (A Water Leak), the 30-second, Spanish-language commercial shows the Colombian-born driver making his pit stop during a race. While his pit crew works on refueling and changing worn tires in less than 15 seconds, Montoya is instantly connected to his wife via a Nextel Walkie-Talkie phone, and helps negotiate the cost for a plumber’s work. It’s the energy and adrenaline of the pit stop, coupled with the speed of the Nextel Walkie-Talkie service which demonstrates that Nextel service is immediate and reliable.

“We are thrilled to work with Juan Pablo Montoya on a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series commercial that captures the excitement of the pit stop,” said Isaac Mizrahi, director of multicultural marketing for Sprint Nextel. “With the presence of a Hispanic icon like Montoya, we are able to leverage the speed of racing and show how Nextel’s instant-communications capabilities empower him to connect with his wife during a fast-paced work situation.”

Last year, Montoya became the first Formula One driver to join the NEXTEL Cup circuit on a full-time basis, making him the most high-profile Latino athlete in the sport. The Sprint Nextel TV spot is Montoya’s first Spanish-language commercial after entering the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

“It’s exciting to work with Sprint Nextel, which is inviting Hispanics to learn this style of racing,” said Montoya. “For the Hispanic community, I think what’s key is learning about
the sport and experiencing a race. Once they do, they will see it’s family-oriented and filled with a lot of passion and excitement.”

The commercial is part of a larger, Hispanic integrated-marketing campaign Sprint Nextel launched earlier this year. Designed to capitalize on the excitement of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing, the second phase kicks off with the commercial’s debut, and includes radio advertising, a national “Viva la Copa Nextel de NASCAR” sweepstakes, in-store promotions, online, direct marketing, public relations, and leveraging NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers such as Montoya.

Promoted in the TV commercial, the “Viva la Copa Nextel de NASCAR” National Sweepstakes invites consumers to sign up for a chance to meet Montoya. For one lucky winner and three of his/her friends, the grand prize will be an all-expense paid trip to attend the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in what will be the race that crowns the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion.

Photo Caption:

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, takes a break on the set of his first Spanish-language Sprint Nextel TV commercial since joining the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Titled “Gotera” (A Water Leak), the high-energy spot, filmed in Concord, N.C., is part of Sprint Nextel’s overall Hispanic integrated-marketing campaign to bring the sport closer to the Hispanic consumer.