NFL partner Crown Royal kicked off its second year as the league’s first-ever whisky sponsor with an activation titled ‘A Minute To The Kick Off’ that saw it partner with Uber Eats for an initiative that helps fans celebrate game day whilst giving back to couriers, delivery drivers and the hospitality industry.
Crown Royal invited all adult fans ‘to raise a glass to all those who help make your gameday great (and drink responsibly)’ and to reward Uber Eats delivery drivers by matching customer tip on NFL Sundays through the 2022/3 season (between 11 September 2022 and 8 January 2023).
The Diageo-owned Canadian whisky brand will match customer tips to couriers (aged over 21) on orders made an hour before Sunday game kickoff in select cities – including Charlotte, Dallas, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis and New Orleans – with couriers aged 21 and over eligible for only one tip match up to $5 per Sunday.
The brand will also dedicate $500,000 from the Crown Royal Generosity Fund, a donor advised fund, to delivery drivers as a part of the season-long commitment of donating $1m dollars to hospitality workers and military veterans whom Crown Royal has supported for over a decade through ‘The Purple Bag Project’.
The brand promoted the initiative and brought it to life through a campaign developed by agency Footsteps and fronted by long-time ambassador and NFL Hall of Famer Ed Reed.
Reed was filmed surprising several lucky delivery drivers with tickets to their favourite team’s regular season opener and the resulting footage was edited into a set of digital and social creative pieces led by ‘Kick Off with Crown: A Minute To Kick’ and ‘Kick Off with Crown: Dave on the Door’ spots which dropped across its own channels from 30 August.
To participate, fans are encouraged and incentivised to visit a bespoke web page at KickOffWithCrown.com and @crownroyal on Instagram to hear the stories of couriers who help make gameday great and unlock support.
https://www.crownroyal.com/game-day/thank-you
We’re celebrating the heroes of @NFL gameday: the delivery drivers. All season, Crown Royal & @UberEats will match driver tips up to $5 for orders delivered one hour before kickoff.
Order locally and tip generously: https://t.co/Kc6myoZKs9 #KickOffWithCrownRoyal pic.twitter.com/igCHGpI1NP
— Crown Royal (@CrownRoyal) September 15, 2022
Celebrate the delivery drivers who make our gamedays royal with @NFL Legend Ed Reed. Order locally, and Crown Royal & @UberEats will match driver tips up to $5 on orders one hour before kickoff.
Tip generously all season: https://t.co/Kc6myoZKs9 #KickOffWithCrownRoyal pic.twitter.com/tn75dPSZbx
— Crown Royal (@CrownRoyal) September 20, 2022
“We’re excited to enter year two of ‘Kickoff with Crown Royal’ and extend our partnership with the NFL who shares in our mission of giving back and inspiring generosity,” said Nicky Heckles, Vice President of Crown Royal. “This season, we’re proud to partner with Uber Eats and give back directly to the delivery drivers who work tirelessly to make gameday happen.”
“We appreciate Crown Royal’s generosity in recognizing the people who deliver great gamedays to America’s doorsteps—the couriers who help fans prepare their kickoff cocktails, halftime hoagies, and so much more,” added Uber VP of US & Canada Delivery Sarfraz Maredia. “It’s our second season as the official on-demand food delivery partner of the NFL, and we’re more excited than ever to be part of the game-time experience, especially through this unique partnership.”
“We’re excited to welcome back Crown Royal as the first-ever official whisky sponsor of the NFL,” explained NFL SVP Of Sponsorship Management Tracie Rodburg. “With the season right around the corner, we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with Crown Royal to celebrate and give back to local communities, hospitality workers, and military heroes all season long.”
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This 2022/3 season, which marks Diageo’s second as the NFL’s first official spirit sponsor, builds on Diageo’s initial league sponsorship marketing from the 2021/2 NFL season which included making a $1m commitment to more than 20 national and local non-profits that support communities in need.
Plus, the brand extended ‘The Crown Royal Water Break’ campaign (which encourages drinking in moderation) by distributing over 6,000 water bottles on gameday to encourage responsible drinking and continued The Purple Bag Project by packing over 200,000 Purple Bags for the military community.
Prior to its parent Diageo becoming an official NFL sponsor, Crown Royal already had a strong relationship with the league as, in 2017, it became the first spirits brand to advertise during a televised NFL game with a spot called ‘Water Boys: Hydrate Generously‘.
Crown Royal is one of Diageo’s trio of spotlight brands – along with Smirnoff Vodka and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum – which all have sports sponsorship as a core pillar of their marketing mix.
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