Social Media Marketing and Optimization

IMG And Vogue.TV Partner To Launch Model.Live, A Broadband Video Series Sponsored By Express.Com

New York (PRWEB) August 19, 2008 ? Model.Live (http://www.bebo.com/modellive) is a new broadband video series that documents the lives of three IMG Models on their way to fashion shows around the world. The 12-episode show reveals the truth about how professional models live, and the hard work and commitment required to achieve star status. Created by IMG Media and sponsored by EXPRESS.com (www.express.com), the series will premiere on Vogue.TV (www.vogue.tv), Tuesday, August 19. The story will simultaneously unfold on global Social Media Network Bebo (bebo.com), where viewers can interact with the models and receive instant updates on their activities and experiences throughout the day.

Model.Live follows three girls? Austria Alcantara (http://www.bebo.com/austriaalcantara) of the Dominican Republic, Cato van Ee (http://www.bebo.com/CatoVanEE) of Amsterdam and Madeline Kragh (http://www.bebo.com/MadelineKragh) of North Carolina?every step of the way, from the moment each leaves home, to professional coaching, casting calls, hair and makeup trials, late-night fittings?and finally the catwalk. The journey begins in New York City with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and continues through the fall schedule of shows in London, Milan and Paris.

Storytelling Through Social Networking on Bebo.com

After every episode, the story continues on Social Media Network Bebo (http://www.bebo.com/modellive), the global social media network, where each model updates her profile daily with video diaries, text messages, photos, blogs, schedules and more. To further the show?s interactive experience, viewers can comment on each model?s progress or post messages of support, encouragement and advice via the Model.Live Channel Profile (http://www.bebo.com/modellive). Additionally, viewers can submit questions to the models on EXPRESS.com, where one question will be featured and answered each week. Model.Live video outtakes, sweepstakes and merchandise will also be available on EXPRESS.com.

Shop Model.Live Only on Vogue.TV

When viewed on Vogue.TV, viewers will be able to shop for Express apparel and accessories featured in each of the episodes, including trends inspired by each model?s signature look as she packs, travels, and attends appointments and events. New products will be available each week that viewers can buy immediately from Express on Vogue.TV or at EXPRESS.com. Viewers can also send detailed product information and Express store locations to their mobile phone.

Model.Live Series Schedule

The premiere episode of Model.Live airs on Vogue.TV Tuesday, August 19. Beginning on August 22, new episodes will be broadcast every Friday for 12 weeks. The series may also be viewed on Tidal TV, Hulu, Veoh and TiVo and will be available on mobile phones through JuiceCaster.

About Vogue.TV

Vogue.TV is a broadband video network produced by the business department of Vogue magazine that delivers marketing through entertainment with original video content that can be simultaneously shopped and shared. A part of the rapidly growing video genre of branded entertainment, Vogue. TV currently features five fashion series: 60 Seconds to Chic transforms an everyday look into instant chic with simple, insider tips; Behind the Lens goes behind the scenes of the season?s most iconic ad campaigns and events; Trend Watch presents what?s new and what?s next in the world of fashion; The Collections showcases the latest runway looks from the world?s top fashion designers; and Model.Live follows Cato, Madeline & Austria as they try to achieve their dreams of becoming international superstars. Vogue.TV has attracted over 900,000 unique visitors who have spent over 55,000 hours on the site since launch in August 2007.

About IMG Sports & Entertainment

IMG Sports Media is the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming, producing more than 8,000 hours of television, online, mobile and radio sports content across 240 categories of sports and distributes more than 15,000 hours of television annually.

IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses include: event ownership and management; client representation in golf, tennis, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, and Olympic and action sports; consulting services; fashion events and models representation; licensing; and golf course design. They also include IMG Academies which are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year.

IMG Entertainment, the entertainment production and distribution division of IMG Worldwide, is one of the world's largest independent producers of drama, comedy, unscripted, fashion, documentary and children?s content. IMG Entertainment's production subsidiaries include the award-winning Darlow Smithson Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Tigress Productions.

About Express

Express is the preferred young, sexy, and sophisticated designer brand for fashion-forward young women and men and all their lifestyle occasions. From casual to dressed-up, Express offers unparalleled style authority. Express operates more than 500 retail outlets in the United States and generates $1.8 billion in sales annually. Visit Express at www.EXPRESS.com.

About Bebo:

Bebo is the world's leading global social media network. Building on the notion of traditional social networking websites, Bebo combines community, self-expression and entertainment to enable its users to consume, create, discover and share professional and user-generated content through the Bebo website. Bebo has over 11.5m unique users in the UK and a total membership of more than 45 million worldwide. Bebo's worldwide users spend an average of 30 minutes a day on the site.

Bebo forms part of AOL's newly created People Networks business unit which combines Bebo, AIM, ICQ, Goowy Media and Yedda and reaches about 80 million unduplicated users worldwide.

Bebo is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX).

* Source for metrics data in this release: comScore Media Metrix, April 2008, except for the Bebo user number, which is internal.

Contacts:

Elissa Lumley, Vogue, 212-286-2225 or Elissa_Lumley(at)condenast.com

Zach Eichman, IMG, 646-871-2453 or Zach.Eichman(at)imgworld.com

Pamela Seidman, Express, 212-884-3205 or PSeidman(at)express.com

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