Infiniti Gets A Taste of Reality With ‘Family vs. Chef’

Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG) has teamed up with Nissan’s luxury automotive division Infiniti to produce Family vs. Chef, a competition-style cooking show that pits one family’s recipe against a celebrity chef’s take on the same dish.

The six-episode series features celebrity chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo and is hosted by NBC New York Talk Stoop’s Cat Greenleaf, with pastry chef Jessica Binder, restaurant owner Ryan DePersio, and Spark Magazine editor Matt Sullivan comprising the judging panel. The first episode features Curto-Randazzo facing off against the Aber family from Newark, DE on a dinner recipe for pork chops, baked beans, and apple fennel slaw.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Infiniti on the show,” said DBG CEO Chris Young. “DBG has a keen eye in knowing how to align brands with custom programming for the web and knew that the Family vs. Chef

series and the Infiniti brand would blend seamlessly.” I wouldn’t say that the integration, which features Infiniti’s 2011 QX full-size luxury SUV, is seamless, but it certainly isn’t invasive.

The connection, however, between a luxury car and cooking seems to be a bit of a stretch. “We saw a great opportunity to tie-in Family vs. Chef with our consumers’ passion point for epicurean experiences and our Inspired Performance Brand,” said Kathy Roznowski, Senior Manager, Infiniti Media and Experiential Marketing. Nevertheless, the tasteful sponsor integration doesn’t detract from the experience.