DRAGONS' DEN TEAMS UP WITH FORD FOR LIFE CHANGING FORD FUSION GAME CHANGER CONTEST

DRAGONS’ DEN and Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited have teamed up to acknowledge the unique pitchers from the past seasons who have gone above and beyond the standard call of business. Dragons Jim Treliving, Bruce Croxon and David Chilton have reviewed all pitches from past to present to highlight and discuss pay-it-forward pitches to ultimately find the one business that truly embodies the “Game Changer” principles.

Ford of Canada recently launched its all-new 2013 Ford Fusion, the company’s smartest mid-sized sedan making it an ideal partner for the pitchers from DRAGONS’ DEN, who have been pushing the boundaries of innovation throughout the show’s history on CBC. Ford saw an opportunity to acknowledge both the pitchers and the DRAGONS’ DEN online community, also known as “Denheads”, through a campaign that recognized pitchers for their incredible business models, while simultaneously reviving some of the most renowned pitches from past episodes of the show for series fans.

“Dragons’ Den has had a profound impact on Canadian entrepreneurship and this partnership with Ford is a great way to celebrate the talent in our country. The Ford Fusion Game Changer is another way the show helps foster innovation and brings extended visibility to entrepreneurs and their businesses,” said Gaye McDonald, Director, Marketing Activation, Media Sales and Marketing, CBC.

During the upcoming Holiday Special of DRAGONS’ DEN airing Wednesday, December 5 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), Jim Treliving and Ford will reward one lucky pitcher with a 2013 Ford Fusion. The Ford Fusion Game Changer will be revealed in a 60 section spot within a commercial break.

The campaign originally launched prior to the current season of DRAGONS’ DEN with an online experience focused on three weeks of online content and a unique interactive opportunity for fans. The show’s most devoted viewers, the “Denheads”, were invited to predict who the Dragons would select as the Ford Fusion Game Changer winner, for a chance to win their own two-year lease of a Ford Fusion. The online content gave viewers a more in-depth and personal look into some of the fan-favourite pitchers outside of the context of the Den.

As part of the campaign, DRAGONS’ DEN brought back former pitcher Kevin Royes of Kelvin 23 (known from his Season 3 pitch with guest Dragon, Debbie Travis) to travel across Canada in the 2013 Ford Fusion to check in with potential pitchers who went above the standard call of business. The cross-country road trip provided an opportunity to showcase the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion and its innovative features, while attracting attention to businesses competing for the coveted Ford Fusion Game Changer title.

DRAGONS’ DEN is the highest rated Canadian unscripted program on television, with an average audience of over 1.4 million Canadians each week. In addition to its success on-air, DRAGONS’ DEN is also a hit online, boasting an active and engaged online community averaging more than 650,000 page views per month. Full episodes and exclusive behind-the-scenes content can be viewed at cbc.ca/dragonsden.

DRAGONS’ DEN is filmed at CBC Headquarters in Toronto, ON and airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) and Sundays at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC Television. Tracie Tighe is Executive Producer; Lisa Gabriele and Mike Armitage are Senior Producers. Dianne Buckner hosts.

Find the show online at:

@cbcdragon #cbcdragonsden

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CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus five languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.

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Erin Richards, Publicist, CBC

Erin.Richards@CBC.CA 416 205 7994 (office) / 416 627 5728 (mobile)