Timberlake, Manning appearing in Sony ads

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. singer Justin Timberlake and football player Peyton Manning have signed on to star in a comedic marketing campaign for Sony Electronics.

The TV and online ads are aimed at reinforcing Sony as a leader in quality and spurring consumer demand for holiday shopping, the company said. Also featured in the campaign are ESPN reporter Erin Andrews; fashion photographer and "America's Next Top Model" judge Nigel Barker; author and comedienne Amy Sedaris; columnist and Web celebrity Julia Allison; and award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe.

"Consumers have questions when buying electronics -- that's why we put together a panel of experts," Stuart Redsun, senior vice president of marketing at Sony, said in a statement. "Now not only can they be assured that they're getting quality when they choose the Sony brand -- they will know it's the right product for them."

"The campaign tells a simple truth," added William Gelner, executive creative director for 180 Los Angeles, the firm that created the ads. "Behind all Sony electronics is a rich history of sports and entertainment. So we had two of the biggest icons from those two worlds, Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake, tell that story."