Under the deal, Toyota will sponsor a strip of prime-time programming on Star's flagship entertainment channel Xing Kong, which will be branded 'Zai Meng Xian Feng,' and translates as 'a pioneer in transporting aspirations into reality'.
The partnership will entail sponsorships, product placements and other advertising opportunities and kicks off with two shows, expanding to five by the beginning of next year. By then, Toyota will have a total of four-and-a-half hours of prime-time per week. Toyota senior managing director Akio Toyoda said: "Our objective is not simply to sell automobiles. Rather it is our mission as a car manufacturer to offer a new lifestyle, emphasising the enjoyment and fulfillment made possible by having a car."
The programmes will feature the latest trends and lifestyles in China, as well as highlight the usage of cars in an innovative manner. Star corporate affairs and publicity vice president Jannie Poon said that Star regularly formulates new programming concepts and that "Toyota shares a similar vision as Star relating to some of those concepts".
"This isn't just about advertising, it's about enhancing people's interests in cars," Poon said.
The move follows a recent announcement that Toyota will roll out four new models - Crown, Corolla, Land Cruiser and Land Cruiser Prado - over the next two years with joint-venture partner First Automobile Works.
The JV was formed to produce up to 400,000 vehicles annually in China by 2010 to try to control at least 10 per cent of the total auto market and 20 per cent of the passenger car market, which is currently dominated by European and American manufacturers.