Marking its first significant marketing campaign since it signed on as the title sponsor for NASCAR’s top series in 2017, Monster Energy has launched a multi-platform marketing initiative around the series’ All-Star Race that focuses on race’s winner-takes-all prize money.
Timed to both coincide with the brand’s 10 April announcement of the extension of its title sponsorship to 2019 and launched a month ahead of the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, which runs on 19 May, the energy drink brand rolled out an integrated ad campaign promoting the non-points sprint race that sees the winner trouser a cool $1m.
The campaign is led by a spearhead spot starring racing icons Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr taking their cars for a spin on the Charlotte Motor Speedway circuit accompanied by an impressive line-up of Monster-sponsored athletes from other sports.
These athlete ambassadors include Supercross star Jeremy McGrath, X-Games medalists Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg and Axell Hodges, plus off-road rider Casey Currie.
As the spot builds towards a climax and the NASCAR drivers approach the finish line, MMA fighter Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson slings a bag stuffed with money in front of them.
As well as the core video assets, Monster is amplifying the activation through a Twitter conversation that, amongst other things, aims to set up the meeting including everyone incorporated with the ad.
Yo @NASCAR… you guys ready?pic.twitter.com/1EXdrs76Lp
— Monster Energy (@MonsterEnergy) April 4, 2018
Looks like our boys handled business last night, @NASCAR. Can’t wait to see the field battle it out for $1 Million at @CLTMotorSpdwy on May 19. #AllStarRace pic.twitter.com/m1X5H6Thzz
— Monster Energy (@MonsterEnergy) April 5, 2018
The campaign is also being amplified across the drinks’ brand’s various digital and social platforms.
Comment:
Monster Energy has been the title sponsor for NASCAR’s top series since 2017 and yet through the year and a half it has owned the rights package the brand’s marketers have chosen to focus on activating at races (with logo presence, signage, track models, on-car branding, contests and race-related content – see case study) rather than through advertising campaigns.
That’s changing in a big way as Monster seeks to use its rights to engage a wider audience than just those who go to the track in person.
The All-Star Race is pitched by the property owner as one of the most exciting nights of the NASCAR season and it engages fans partly because of the simplicity of the prize on offer: a winner takes all jackpot of $1m.
Monster signed its two-year deal in 2017 and on 10 April 2018 it announced it was taking up its one year extension option to 2019 (although the brand is not expected to return in the title partner role beyond this point) for the cost of a reported $20m per year: which is thought to be as much as $30mn less than what Sprint paid for NASCAR’s top series during its long run as the title sponsor.
The tactical approach of the activation marks something of a change of direction for a brand that has previously focused on cultivating its customer base from within specific silos and engaging with fans of the sports they sponsor in separate pillar promotions.
But this multi athlete cross-promotion may succeed in both strengthening its success in promoting Monster’s brand through sponsorships in general and in giving the NASCAR audience a route into other Monster linked sports and sponsored athletes.
Will this become a catalyst for Monster to do this in other sports (perhaps using NASCAR drivers)?
It certainly dovetails with the general sports marketing trend for breaking out of traditionally separate silos and blending marketing through multiple sports, as well as with the wider world of music, fashion, culture and entertainment.
Links:
Monster
https://www.monsterenergy.com/
https://twitter.com/MonsterEnergy
https://www.facebook.com/MonsterEnergy
https://www.instagram.com/MonsterEnergy/
https://www.snapchat.com/add/monsterenergy
NASCAR
https://www.facebook.com/NASCAR/
https://www.instagram.com/nascar/
