Ford and The Steve Harvey Morning Show Look for the 'Craziest Marriage Proposal'

DEARBORN, Mich., April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever wondered just how "crazy" a marriage proposal could be? Ford and The Steve Harvey Morning Show want to answer that question and have set out to find the craziest marriage proposal.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show and Ford have formed a partnership to give show listeners the chance to say "I do" at the 2011 Ford Hoodie Awards in Las Vegas. The "Craziest Marriage Proposal" contest kicks off on Monday, April 11, and will run through Friday, May 20. The Steve Harvey Morning Show listeners will help to select the winner of the contest by voting for their favorite Craziest Marriage Proposal stories.

"The 2011 Ford Explorer not only engages with its class-exclusive technologies, but it also encourages consumers to tap into their adventurous sides in fresh new ways," said Shawn Lollie, Multicultural Marketing manager, Ford Motor Company. "This is exactly what we had in mind when we developed this contest with The Steve Harvey Morning Show. We are challenging consumers to unleash their creativity and come up with their craziest proposal while staying true to the adventurous nature of the all-new Ford Explorer."

For three weeks beginning April 11, The Steve Harvey Morning Show will drive listeners to www.steveharvey.com, where they can register by first viewing the 2011 Ford Explorer "Crazy Kevin" TV spot that features comedian and actor Kevin Hart. Following the commercial, viewers will be prompted to submit their Craziest Marriage Proposal stories online. After a three-week promotion, The Steve Harvey Morning Show will narrow the submissions down to the "craziest" three entries. Those entries will then be voted on by listeners of The Steve Harvey Morning Show.

The winner of the contest will win a wedding or vow renewal in Las Vegas during the Ford Hoodie Awards weekend taking place Aug. 11-15. The winning couple will receive round-trip air fare, a honeymoon suite, wedding ceremony at Mandalay Bay and tickets to all of the Hoodie Award festivities, plus they can bring along six of their closest friends and family members to help them celebrate. In addition, one voter will be randomly chosen to win a VIP trip to the 2011 Hoodie Awards as an exclusive guest of Ford.

"The all-new Ford Explorer delivers best-in-class fuel economy and features class-leading technologies like MyFord Touch™ driver connect technology and the class-exclusive rear inflatable seat belts – features that are both engaging and surprising for vehicles in this class," said Lollie. "This contest is allowing us to continue to tell the Explorer story in a way that is both engaging and surprising, just like the 2011 Ford Explorer."

The Craziest Marriage Proposal contest comes on the heels of Ford's launch of the new urban advertising campaign for the Explorer, "Crazy Kevin." The TV spot features comedian and actor Kevin Hart arriving to a wedding in an Explorer unexpectedly late. The 30-second spot debuted during an episode of the popular TV show The Game.

About The Steve Harvey Morning Show

Nationally syndicated by Premiere Networks, The Steve Harvey Morning Show airs weekdays from 6-10 AM and can be heard on more than 60 radio stations by approximately 7 million weekly listeners. The program combines heart, humor, music and celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment. Harvey is joined on the show by Shirley Strawberry, Carla Ferrell and his "Nephew Tommy." 2010 marked the five-year anniversary of The Steve Harvey Morning Show in national syndication, and the program continues to be the number-one syndicated morning show in the top 25 metro markets with Persons 12+, Adults 25-54, Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49 and Women 25-54 (Source: Arbitron, FA'10, MSA, Exact Times, AQH T 25 Metros). On November 15, 2010, Harvey brought his top-rated morning radio program to the Centric Channel. The hour-long show, The Steve Harvey Project, airs nightly Monday – Friday presenting the best of the morning show, and is filmed daily with bits by fan favorites like Sister O'Dell, Eugene, the Pastors and many others. For more information about Harvey, including his charitable efforts, the annual Hoodie Awards and his best-selling books, please visit www.SteveHarvey.com.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company