It what is likely the first time News Corp.-owned MySpace has helped a marketer carry out a viral promotion, Time Warner's HBO is using the social media outlet to promote the return of cult series Entourage, writes AdAge (via MediaBuyerPlanner). As part of its "My Entourage" competition, HBO is encouraging young adults to form their own online group of friends on MySpace and will handsomely reward the biggest group of friends who have the most compelling profile page.
Further promotion of Entourage will include Microsoft's Xbox, whereby users will have the opportunity to play live against the show's gaming fan character Turtle, played by Jerry Ferrara, on the website Xbox.com, which will also post ads for the show. Additionally, HBO is buying billboards that read "Keep your friends close and your agent closer," and "In a town full of sharks, it's good to have a Turtle."
MySpace is also helping Paramount Pictures to promote Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."