Ford Giving Away the Keys to a 2012 Focus Titanium During This Year's BET AWARDS Airing Sunday, June 26

DEARBORN, Mich., June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hip-Hop and R&B music enthusiasts patiently wait for the "BET AWARDS 11" to air, Ford has kicked off a sweepstakes that will award one lucky viewer the keys to a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium as part of The BET AWARDS Ford Focus Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes, which kicked off late last week, ends at 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 26, and incorporates the use of Twitter as part of the final qualification process.

"Our integration into the 'BET AWARDS 11' is the latest example of our commitment to connecting with young urban adults as part of our efforts to heighten awareness for the all-new Ford Focus," said Shawn Lollie, Ford manager, Multicultural Marketing. "The opportunity to not only showcase, but to also give away, a Focus during one of the top five cable award show programs was a natural fit for us. With the 'BET AWARDS 11' partnership we are able to reach one of our core audiences for the Focus with an event that is relevant to them and in a manner that is truly unique to the Ford brand."

Fans 18 and older can register for the BET Awards Ford Focus Sweepstakes by visiting www.fordurban.com or www.bet.com/FordFocus through June 26, 2011, for the chance to win the 2012 Focus Titanium. Official rules and entry details are available at www.bet.com/FordFocus.

A Social-Media Infused Vehicle Sweepstakes

Unlike other Ford vehicle sweepstakes conducted with BET, The BET AWARDS Ford Focus Sweepstakes will incorporate for the first time the use of Twitter as part of the final qualification process for selecting the winner. Once the sweepstakes closes, BET will send out a message using Twitter to all qualified entrants confirming their eligibility along with the official hash tag to tweet about the "BET AWARDS 11". During the show, BET will highlight selected tweets from qualified entrants and then randomly select one potential grand-prize winner from among all eligible entrants during the live broadcast. The winner's name will be announced during the awards show.

"A large number of young adults are using social media tools like Twitter in order to engage with their peers on a daily basis," said Lollie. "We thought that incorporating Twitter as part of the vehicle sweepstakes would further resonate with our core audience as well as provide an additional level of exposure for the brand."

In addition to the vehicle sweepstakes, the Focus will be parked on the red carpet during the Pre-Awards Show red-carpet festivities. Ford also will sponsor the Ford Focus Social Media Lounge, the exclusive backstage area, which will feature some of the top entertainment bloggers who will have access to the celebrity talent during the entire weekend leading up to the awards show. Ford will be prominently integrated into this behind-the-scenes experience as part of its partnership with BET.

For over a decade the BET AWARDS has reigned as the biggest family event rivaling all top awards shows.  Having escalated each year in industry influence with A-list celebrity nominations, star-studded appearances and one-of-a-kind performances, the BET AWARDS has undoubtedly established itself as the gold standard in creating memorable moments year after year. Hosted by Kevin Hart, the highly-anticipated event premieres live, Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m.* from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA and features performances by Alicia Keys, Jill Scott and Chris Brown.

For more information on registering to win the Focus or to learn more about the all-new Focus, log on to www.fordurban.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.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company