Tostitos, one of the products in PepsiCo’s NFL partnership portfolio, has unveiled an innovative alcohol-activated bag to encourage football fans not to drink and drive during the Super Bowl.
At this time of year, Frito-Lay marketers aim to solidify Tostitos’ positioning as part of the three-part Super Bowl party staple of dips, chips and beer and it is the proximity and link between the latter two products that has led to the brand partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Uber to create a first-of-its-kind Party Safe Bag.
This limited-edition product is a hi-tech crisp packet equipped with a sensor that detects traces of alcohol on a person’s breath (albeit the device is not a full-on legally valid breathalyser).
When alcohol is detected, LED lights built into the chip bag turn red to form a steering wheel that incorporates an Uber code and a ‘Don’t drink and drive message’.
Thus, those who have drunk too much to drive are reminded of their status and incentivised to take a taxi by redeeming a $10 discount off an Uber ride home.
Tostitos are offering as many as 25,000 football fans the opportunity to take advantage of this offer on the day of the Big Game.
The bag uses near-field communication (NFC) technology that even enables crisp-loving football fans to simply tap the bag with their phone to call a ride.
For Super Bowl 51, which takes place on 5 February in Houston, the brand is rolling out the limited-edition bags at retailers across the USA.
The chip brand might not be splashing out on a ($5m for 30-seconds) in-game TV spot, but it is promoting its innovative bag with a supporting video (starring Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker).
The bag is also being promoted on the brand’s ‘That’s How We Party’ digital hub (https://www.thatshowweparty.com/) and on the social channels of all three initiative partners such as Twitter
Together with @Uber, @Tostitos, we're helping 25,000 fans get home safely after the Big Game. Take the Pledge! https://t.co/hYfYQWo8tl
— MADD (@MADDOnline) January 26, 2017
and Facebook.
The initiative follows on from data supplied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that tragically 45 people were killed in drunk driving crashes on Super Bowl Sunday in 2015.
According to Frito-Lay chief marketing officer Jennifer Saenz,, the objective of the initiative is to remove 25000 cars from the roads on Sunday evening.
‘Whether watching the big game at a friend’s house or at a local bar, a safe ride home is just a few easy taps away,’ explains Saenz.
This three-way partnership between Tostitos, MADD and Uber was developed in harness with creative agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P).
‘We’re proud to introduce to the world the first bag of chips that gets you home safe,’ says Roger Baran, a Goodby Silverstein & Partners creative director.
‘For a football fan, there is a lot of emotion involved with a game. It’s easy to drink more than you planned. And a lot of times all you need to stop short of driving after drinking is a friend who calls you off. On Sunday of the big game, we want Tostitos to be that friend.’
‘We designed the technology and the bag from the ground up and then had to scale it,’ explains GS&P creative director Sam Luchini.
‘It had to function as a beautiful bag and also like an alcohol detector. It was form and function together.’
‘Having a good time and being safe go hand in hand,’ adds Delanie Walker, tight end for the Tennessee Titans and a MADD volunteer, whose aunt and uncle were killed by a drunk driver following the 2013 Super Bowl in which Walker played.
‘Drunk driving is 100% preventable. Thanks to Tostitos and Uber, it’s easier than ever to make a safe choice if your plans include alcohol.’
The brand is also taking more traditional tactical approaches to promoting Tostitos as the classic Super Bowl snack with spots such as ‘Game Day Dip’
and plenty of social media assets carrying the official NFL marks.
The start of your NFL preseason party? This winning recipe. #Tostitos #BringTheParty https://t.co/J1hOdBAiXg pic.twitter.com/LkXCCDMY8G
— Tostitos (@Tostitos) August 13, 2016
Comment:
While not a legally mandated breathalyser, this gimmick has admirable objectives and will surely both drive plenty of consumer conversation and PR.
Frito-Lay chip stablemate Doritos might have finally retired its once-ground-breaking ‘Crash The Super Bowl’ contest this year after a decade of consumer-created innovation, but this package innovation shows that Frito-Lay still has plenty of Super Bowl party tricks ready for this year’s Big Game.
Bang on trend, this sponsor activation initiative not only leverages the trends for ‘products as promotions’ and for multi-partner tie-ins, but it also jumps on the current Uber partnership and cause campaign bandwagons too.
Well, everything about the Big Game is over the top!
This initiative follows on from the brand’s ‘Unreal NFL Experiences’ campaign that ran through the regular season (see case study).
Links:
Tostitos
https://www.youtube.com/user/tostitos
https://www.thatshowweparty.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tostitos/
https://www.facebook.com/Tostitos
Goodby Silverstein & Partners
