Cathay is the exclusive sponsor of the Marco Polo: The China Mystery Revealed series on the National Geographic Channel this month. I know that because I had to answer the question, 'Who is the exclusive sponsor of the series?' in order to qualify to win a trip for two to Beijing.
As with all of these contests, you increase your chance of winning if you forward the email on to others.
While I often spurn sponsorship ideas, I like this tie-in for a few reasons.
Cathay's loyalty club is called the Marco Polo Club, and Marco Polo called China 'Cathay.' Also, Cathay has an opportunity to remind us of its recent return to China after a 13-year absence.
The message is clear: watch the show and register to win, with a typical dramatic image from National Geographic. However there's not much about the series itself. Even the subject line, 'Win a Trip for Two to Beijing with Cathay Pacific' makes no mention of the programme. They could have been a little more engaging with the Cathay connection in the email.