The bye weekend for the NFL was taken over by the Olympics, the NHL All-Star Game, and NASCAR’s latest forward-thinking event (at the LA Coliseum), but for those with a jones for football you had the Pro Bowl…and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Two events that maybe the casual fan would not ordinarily dial in to, but for those who went to NFL Network to watch Saturday’s annual college all-star game in Mobile. Alabama, you had to be struck from a business perspective how much Reese’s makes the event into a three hour branding exercise laced with some elite football in the middle.
The event, which is just a handful of large showcase events left for draft eligible college players, has done a great job of reinventing and expanding its focus, with off field seminars, a growing connection to HBCU schools and a really strategic way of positioning itself as the beginning of the path to this spring’s NFL Draft, and Reese’s has used it for a fun and integrated branding opportunity.
You can’t mistake the Reese’s colors anywhere in and around the game…event the uniforms are orange and white with brown mixed in. Coaches get showered not with Gatorade but with buckets of peanut butter cups; the in-game interviews are not far from a few of the peanut butter and chocolate snacks being held and shared, and the Reese’s mascot, “Cuppie” photobomb every opportunity to make sure there is a reminder of who entitles the event.
And while the branding for the event is done in a way that can’t be missed, there is also the value that Reese’s builds in with players and staff, making them fans and ambassadors for life as the players especially start the next stage of their careers. This year, in addition to taking the disruptive path of bringing in and outfitting all in Athleisure wear vs traditional sweats, The Senior Bowl and Panini also created NFT’s for each of the players, many of whom will be able to use the digital collectible for their own branding purposes as they head toward the Draft. Panini built the tech to customize the pieces for each player who was interested, and the social sharing of those pieces for for all involved is an invaluable tie for a legion of the next stars of the NFL.
Now is the Senior Bowl “must watch” for everyone on a cold February weekend? No. But Reese’s, and the Senior Bowl, have worked to use the social and digital space, as well as NFL Network, to expand the window not just for a weekend, but through the spring with these Next Gen, mobile friendly athletes. The even is fun, engaged and not just a traditional football watch for anyone, and that’s how Reese’s makes it a sweet win for their brand and all involved.
Kudos for thinking outside the traditional and setting up a platform that delivers for a longer term way beyond a game.
A worthwhile taste of success in a unique fashion, and a good fix for anyone looking for football as we head towards the Big Game.
