A&E Television Networks? History Channel is featuring mobile as part of its multichannel advertising campaign to promote its new epic series ?America: The Story of Us.?

The History Channel got the word out about its miniseries through a broad marketing effort, including lighting exhibits with ArtLumiere, social campaigns with Foursquare and an exclusive digital advertising campaign with Microsoft Advertising. The three-screen campaign powered by Microsoft includes the wired Web, XBox Live and both on-deck and off-deck mobile advertising.

?The ?America: The Story of Us? digital advertising campaign is a three-screen takeover that spans across the Web, mobile and XBox Live,? said Jon Wren, New York-based account executive at Microsoft Advertising. ?The mobile and XBox Live components have no additional elements, as the content and user experience will be the same no matter which platform you choose.?

The History Channel recently premiered America: The Story of Us to a record-breaking 5.7 million viewers and drawing a household rating of 4.0, making it the cable channel?s highest-rated and most-watched special miniseries premiere of all time.

With an introduction by President Obama, the first show on April 25 chronicled the struggles of early settlers, driven by the promise of a new life, as they faced a myriad of danger and conflict.

Each Sunday at 9 p.m. ET until Memorial Day, new episodes will feature chapters in American history and the people, places and things that have shaped the United States.

Historic takeover
For maximum exposure, the History Channel ran ad takeovers on the MSN and Verizon Wireless homepages. This coincided with the online MSN and MSNBC homepage takeovers as well.

During the premiere weekend, America: The Story of Us also had takeovers of Entertainment categories, including an editorial feature on VZToday.

The ads clicked through to the History mobile site, which has content such as video and a History Quiz.

Additionally, Pulitzer Prize winner David Horsey partnered with MSN and MSNBC to deliver and drive viewers to a custom photo journal called ?Escape into America.?

Mr. Horsey, along with seasoned photojournalists such as Nancy LeVine, set off across the U.S. to be inspired by every stranger that has a story to tell.

In conjunction with the America: The Story of Us broadcast, the History Channel will launch its largest-ever educational outreach and will for the first time offer a DVD of the entire 12-hour series to every school in America, including all accredited colleges, free of charge. 

As part of this campaign, the network will provide every school in America with curriculum materials developed to provide teachers with exciting ways to engage students in American history.

The curriculum materials will include images, teaching resources and study suggestions, as well as video clips designed to equip students with key facts and information regarding U.S. history.

Libraries and schools nationwide will be encouraged to begin an all-encompassing dialogue about the history of this nation, in detail and on a broad scale.

The mobile channel was a key pillar in the History Channel?s marketing strategy to get the word out about America: The Story of Us.

?History aimed to reach a large demographic ranging from 18 to 54 year olds and teamed with Microsoft Advertising to produce a digital advertising campaign that included a three-screen take over on MSN, MSNBC, mobile and XBox Live,? Mr. Wren said.

?The content and user experience is the same no matter which platform you?re on, whether online at your desk, in your living room or on the go,? he said.