-By T.L. Stanley

The rednecks are about to meet the red carpet.

A promotion and brand integration deal between Viacom's Country Music Television and News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox will send a couple from the popular show, My Big Redneck Wedding, to the Hollywood premiere of the romantic comedy, Bride Wars.

But it's no quick-hit contest. The deal spans three months, weaves considerable amounts of movie footage, custom-created interstitials and hype through the cable channel, and gives viewers the chance to pick which couple will get a de facto honeymoon in Los Angeles.

The marriage is on-trend with what TV networks are doing these days to try to attract advertiser dollars, putting up their best assets and working with marketers to create ways to thematically connect the entertainment to the product. Customization is key, as is coming up with creative—seamless ways to align the two.

My Big Redneck Wedding, a documentary-style show that follows couples as they plan their down-home nuptials, launches its second season on Sunday night. With it, Fox and the network will kick off on-air and online exposure for Bride Wars, which stars Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as best friends-turned-bridezillas when they learn they've picked the same wedding date.

Each of the eight Redneck Wedding episodes will feature some Bride Wars exclusive content, behind-the-scenes bits and teasers, along with info about how to vote online for the couples featured in the series. The winners will hit Hollywood for the movie's January premiere, with CMT camera crews in tow.

"It's a bit of a deeper dive than a traditional partnership," said Anthony Barton, CMT's vp-integrated marketing and sponsorship development. "It gives people a new way to watch our show, and it gives Fox a conduit to our core heartland audience."

The cable channel is putting two more marquee shows into the mix: CMT Top 20 Countdown and CMT Insider. Both will have Bride Wars trailers, sneak peeks and other promotions, as well as viewer reminders to vote in the sweepstakes.

"Our fans love to participate, and they want their opinions to be heard," Barton said.

Like many others around the dial, CMT and its cable brethren have stepped up their activity in the cross-promotion, custom ads and branded entertainment area. The Nashville-based network recently worked with video game publisher Midway and sibling channel Spike to boost a title called TNA Wrestling. One component of the deal had an entire two-and-a-half-hour CMT Top 20 Countdown taped at a Spike/TNA grappling match.

The channel is working to expand its Hollywood ties (still to come: co-promotions with Paramount/Dreamworks' Madagascar 2), and Fox has now become a repeat ad-buying customer. Earlier this year, the music countdown show was written completely in Seussian rhyme to hype the studio's Horton Hears a Who. Next up: co-promotions with Marley & Me and the period Oscar-buzzy drama, Australia.