Ford has always been at the forefront of innovation in the automotive world, and the iconic automaker recently took its advertising campaign to a whole new level. Ford has paired with NBC to launch a new reality show, dubbed Escape Routes, meant to promote the manufacturer's latest incarnation of the Ford Escape.

The show will pit six two-person teams against each other in a road trip across the country. In addition to having to traverse the United States in a 2012 Ford Escape, teams will also be tasked with overcoming physical and mental challenges in the process. The show is set to debut on March 31 and is one of the first times a company has turned to reality television as a means of advertising one of its products.

"Marketers have been trying for the past decade or so to go beyond the 30-second commercial or two-page ad in a newspaper," Matt Van Dyke, Ford’s director of U.S. marketing, told Forbes. "It used to be you could pay for product placement. Now with the advent of social media, it’s an opportunity to leverage the convergence of TV and interactive media."

The move may be an important one for Ford. The Escape had long been one of the top 10 most popular cars in the United States, but all that changed in February. The crossover fell off the list for the first time in nine months after it only experienced a 3.7 percent boost in sales, according to USA Today.

Whether you're looking to take a cross-country road trip like the contestants on Escape Route, or have simply been ignoring auto maintenance, a trip to New Jersey State Auto Auction's Total Car Care center may be in order. With a knowledgeable staff, New Jersey Auto can help you with any repair or general upkeep.