Dietz & Watson, a US delicatessen food provider based in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), leveraged spiking NFL Playoff excitement in its home town with the release of a special frank for Philadelphia Eagles fans called ‘The Bird Dog’.
The bespoke fan hot dog, which comes ‘with a little extra Philly kick’, consists of either Dietz & Watson Beef Frank or Jalapeno Cheddar Frank topped with provolone, crunchy fried onions and long shots all set in an Eagles colour branded green bun (created by partner Cacia’s Bakery).
Dietz & Watson, which was founded in Philly in 1939 and strives to position itself as a business and a brand ‘born and bred in a city woven into the DNA of the company’, is an official partner of the Philadelphia Eagles. This limited edition Playoff product seeks to bring to life its aim of ‘doing more than cheering along for the team’.
The activation around ‘The Bird Dog’, created in harness with agency Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, is based on the brand’s belief that ‘fans can never have too much fuel for their fandom’ and was led by PR and social content (led by Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Tiktok) rolling out from 10 January.
The creative is led by a hero video and also includes shared images and videos from the events, plus alerts for fans as to where the Bird Dogs truck will park next, while a specially branded ‘Bird Dog’ food truck will tour different Philadelphia neighbourhoods throughout the NFL Playoffs handing out free ‘Bird Dogs’ alongside team- and product-themed apparel.
FREE Bird Dogs are here! Follow us or visit https://t.co/qPt07Bulah for Bird Dog locations throughout the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/XJ1THyt1Lb
— Dietz & Watson (@DietzandWatson) January 10, 2023
The product and the campaign will continue as long as the Eagles remain in contention for Super Bowl 2023. In fact, according to the brand, the deeper into the playoffs the Eagles go, the more Bird Dogs there will be. if the team makes it to the NFC Championship game, then D&W will host a ‘Bird Dog’s Rally’ prior to kick off and if the franchise reaches the Super Bowl itself the company will host a sponsored watch.
“Our company has proudly been rooted in Philadelphia for over 80 years, so we are thrilled to celebrate an exciting football season with our neighbours across our hometown the best way we know how: good eats!” said Dietz & Watson EVP Brand Strategy Lauren Eni Canseco. “As an official Eagles Partner, we knew we had to go big on tried-and-true Philly flavour. We look forward to seeing everyone in our community join us in celebration. Go Birds!”
“Like Dietz & Watson, we’re Birds fans through and through. And the only thing better than cheering is cheering with a belly full of Dietz & Watson Bird Dogs,” added RTO+P President and Co-CCO Steve Red. “This is the first time Dietz has created a recipe in honour of the Birds. And we’re stoked to give them away all over Philly to rev up the fanaticals. Get ready to grease the light posts on Broad Street and Go Birds!”
Comment
When the 2022/23 NFL regular season came to an end after Week 18 on Sunday, 8 January, the Eagles finished top of the NFC with an NFL season best 14 – 3 record (alongside AFC table toppers Kansas City Chiefs): giving the team a bye in the Playoff’s initial Wild Card round (14-16 January) straight into the Divisional round (21-23 January).
The Eagles have a distinctly down-to-earth positioning as a team: something reflected in marketing around the franchise such as the outfit’s 2022/23 season opening ‘Go Birds’ hype film and 2019’s ‘Let’s Fly’.
Philadelphia sports fans have never been marketed to so hard as a tidal wave of sponsors leverage the success of the city’s teams: first brand’s piggy-backed the Phillies journey to the 2022 MLB World Series and now the Eagles finishing the NFL regular season with pro football’s best record.
What next?
Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid leading the Sixers to an NBA Championships this year. Well, maybe?
The Flyers lifting the NHL’s Stanley Cup? Err, no, surely not!
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