Sun Microsystems is hitching a ride with MTV. The pairing of Sun and MTV is part of a marketing sponsorship with the video music broadcaster, designed to introduce students to a range of Java Powered products. The emphasis, Sun said, is to be on the recreational and fun aspects of technology.

Students will very likely be given media players and other gadgetry, before being offered more 'serious' Java applications like office software. Tagging along with MTV gives Sun instant credibility among the demographic segment it is after. Sun will be including print and broadcast advertising, to coincide with its travels across campuses as a participant in MTV's Road Trip Tour.

By targeting college students, many of whom are not familiar with Java technology, Sun hopes to spur interest in young minds, enabling greater inclusivity for Java and applications using it. What is interesting is that many students use Java on a daily basis without having a full understanding of what it is, and what it does.

"Today's youth," began Ingrid Van Den Hoogen, vice president of brand experience and community marketing at Sun, "are interacting with Java Powered products every day. MTV reaches over six million college students across the US; working with them allows us to excite and education a new generation about the many ways Java is impacting their lives."

Java technology currently powers 1.75 billion devices across the globe. It is thought that once students experience the wizardry of Java Powered products that they will want to learn more about it.

One feature of the road trip is a video jockey (VJ) search. This is not particularly remarkable in and of itself. However, making this search, dubbed Impromptu 8.0, available only on the Web is something new. College students can use Impromptu to record an on the spot pre-VJ audition, then send to digital clip to friends and family with e-mail from java.com. Carolyn Everson, director of advertising sales for MTV, said of the endeavor, "The 2004 Road Trip Tour is a great way for us to hit the road, discover some amazing student talent, and bring a great campus event to our partner universities."

It remains to be seen how readily students will switch over to Java, once the Road Trip ends. Sun's initiative with MTV shows that the company is serious about establishing brand relationships with consumers that Sun hopes will actively grow along with them. The students and MTV's audience will gain a little further insight into Java technology.