Ford has launched a new video podcast, Edge Music Videocast, that features music videos from Cat Power, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolfmother and Gomez.

The video podcast is basically a collection of four music videos, with short “Ford Edge” branding segments. Ford believes the new offering is the first sponsored video podcast of mainstream music videos.

“We are using the music to attract the demographic and bring them to the brand,” says Jon Melrod, vice president of Rock River Music who is collaborating with Ford on the program. “There will be imagery that evokes what the Edge is about and links so the subscriber can view the product.”

“We expect more customers to look at the Edge, but what we are really trying to do is create a community of users that is interested in the Edge and the music,” says Dave Sanabria, SUV marketing communications manager for Ford.

In the next couple of years, video podcasts will explode just the way audio podcasts did, says Sanabria, and Ford wants to be at the forefront of the industry.

“It’s the first time consumers will be able to download videos for free. A television ad is only 30 seconds, but the video will be 15 minutes,” adds Sanabria. “It’s more time to engage our audience and show them the all-new Edge.”

Featured artists:

Wolfmother – “Woman”

Wolfmother has drawn comparisons to legendary groups like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The Grammy-nominated, top 10 single “Woman” comes from Wolfmother’s self-titled debut album.

Cat Power – “Lived In Bars”

Indie rock chanteuse Chan Marshall, who records under the name Cat Power, delivered one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2006.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Gold Lion”

The lead single off of this year’s Grammy-nominated record Show Your Bones (“Best Alternative Album”) is a more polished version of the garage/art rock sound that first ignited the attention of fans and critics upon the group’s debut in 2003.

Gomez – “How We Operate”

Mercury Prize-winning UK band Gomez is quietly building a reputation as one of the finest songwriting groups in rock. The title track to the album How We Operate is an ageless slice of Britpop that rewards repeated spins.