Viacom to Give Pepsi a Digital Boost With #LiveForNow Campaign [EXCLUSIVE]

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Viacom's Twitter accounts for MTV, VH1, CMT and Comedy Central will aid in the campaign's mission of "inviting and inspiring" people to live in the moment -- and sharing those moments on social networks with relevant hashtags.

The summer partnership runs until September and builds on Pepsi's existing Live for Now hub, Pepsi Pulse, a social media-driven interactive dashboard that curates trending pop culture and entertainment news.

Pepsi Pulse, which lives at Pepsi.com, also offers original content, such as deals and challenges, and it highlights tweets and photos from celebrities and people who use hashtags #NOW or #LiveForNow.

Aside from having its Twitter handles promote the campaign, Viacom will have its networks integrate Live for Now items on-air during programming:

Here's what Viacom has planned, Pepsi told Mashable ahead of Wednesday's official announcement:

MTV: People who tweet photos with #mtvnow during the summer will be entered to be one of three photo correspondents for the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept 6. Submitted photos will be displayed at MTVLiveForNow.com, and the top-voted images win.

VH1: People who tweet photos with #playnow could see their images on VH1's national morning show Top 20 Countdown.” Submitted photos will be displayed at VH1LiveForNow.com.

Comedy Central: People who tweet photos with #comedynow could earn entrance into the filming of the Colbert Summer Music series in August and become the photo correspondent for the event in New York City. Submitted photos will be displayed at ComedyCentralLiveForNow.com.

CMT: Previously, people who tweeted photos with #countrynow vied for three spots to attend the CMT Music Awards on June 6. The winners will be featured on the pre-show red carpet and their photos during the ceremony will be shown on air. Submitted photos can be viewed at CMTLiveForNow.com.

"With Live for Now, Pepsi has created the perfect summer rallying cry for our networks' audiences, who are constantly connected and always on the cutting edge of culture," Rachel Baumgarten, SVP of integrated marketing at MTV Music Group, said in a statement.

In addition to the Pulse platform and the Viacom partnership, the campaign includes TV, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising.

Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj helped launch the campaign, appearing in a commercial that also used her song "Moment 4 Life." A partnership with Katy Perry and her upcoming flick Part of Me 3D will include Live for Now branding and live events.

Shiv Singh, global head of digital for PepsiCo Beverages, recently told Mashable that the company is placing a major emphasis on social-media users because "brand wars are being fought in news feeds and streams."