NFL, TGI Fridays and other brands targeting the U.S. consumer right now. Check out our prior Sales Leads columns.
NFL
To kick off the ’23 season, the NFL debuted “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up,” a humorous campaign that features actor and comedian KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY and some of the league’s biggest names, including PATRICK MAHOMES (Kansas City Chiefs), TRAVIS KELCE (Kansas City Chiefs), JASON KELCE (Philadelphia Eagles), JUSTIN FIELDS (Chicago Bears), KIRK COUSINS (Minnesota Vikings), DK METCALF (Seattle Seahawks), DEXTER LAWRENCE (New York Giants), JA’MARR CHASE (Cincinnati Bengals), JALEN RAMSEY (Miami Dolphins) and even DONNA KELCE, mother of the Kelce brothers. The brand campaign leans into meme and pop culture around the league being scripted while showcasing the NFL as the pinnacle of entertainment, the stage for unbelievable stories that are better than fiction. Set to a backdrop of the “NFL 104th season table read,” “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” stars long-time Detroit Lions fan Key as the director. “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” was produced by 72andSunny, and aims to entertain fans everywhere and hype them up for what is to come in the 104th NFL season. In anticipation of the narratives that will happen this year, “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” is the league’s first campaign for the start of the season that will continue throughout the season. With a total of 16 pieces of content, the campaign will be timed to key moments throughout the year, such as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, and international games.“You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” aired on the Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime Video, as the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Indianapolis Colts at home at 8 PM EST on Thursday, August 24. The campaign will run on TV, digital and social. The 2023 season starts on Thursday, September 7th with NFL Kickoff Weekend presented by YouTube TV. The story begins with the Detroit Lions at the Kansas City Chiefs at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.
TGI Fridays
Casual restaurant chain TGI Fridays has named indie creative shop Spark its social media engagement agency. Spark will handle the brand’s accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, formerly known as Twitter. The remit includes strategic marketing and communications efforts that cover community engagement, crisis management support, and creative content collaboration.
Duracell
Duracell has appointed Publicis BBH USA as its new lead creative agency in the U.S. and VaynerMedia as its social AOR.BBH will be in charge of Duracell’s brand strategy and creative platform while overseeing the brand’s inter-agency team, which includes VaynerMedia, Citizen Relations, and media AOR EssenceMediacom.The pitch to pick a new agency was held over the summer and ran internally. After seven years, Wieden+Kennedy will no longer work with the brand. The brand is looking to its marketing to drive relevancy with the new generation of consumers. It wasn’t disclosed which other agencies participated in the final round. Duracell’s marketing spend in 2022 was US$60 million in 2022, with US$25 million coming through digital media, according to COMvergence.BBH will develop a new creative platform for the brand next spring. VaynerMedia, which has worked with Duracell on a project basis since 2022, will oversee creative work related to F1 events in Las Vegas and Austin, Texas, this fall, Adweek reported.
VMC Tequila & Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez
VMC, a ready-to-drink tequila-based canned cocktail born from a partnership between world champion boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, Spirit of Gallo, and Casa Lumbre. VMC celebrates Mexican heritage, tradition, and flavors, founded by one of its most iconic, globally recognized sporting superstars. VMC, launched in Mexico in 2022, stands for Viva Mexico Cabrones, an exclamation of pride and celebration of Mexico. The cocktails are crafted with the expertise of master tequila makers using blue agave grown in Jalisco. Available in three distinctive flavors, VMC is the best served chilled straight from the can: Paloma, Jamaica Hibiscus Cocktail, and Margarita.VMC is packaged in premium gold-accented cans emblazoned with iconic symbols of Mexican heritage and tradition: an eagle standing atop a piña (the heart of the agave plant) among the agave fields of Jalisco. With its initial release planned for select markets with large Mexican-American populations, VMC is the first canned cocktail to be aimed primarily at the Mexican audience in the US. The Hispanic population is the second largest in America as well as the fastest-growing demographic. More specifically, Mexicans represent 62% of Hispanics in the US, driving growth within the demographic. Starting in September, VMC just became available in the US, sold in four packs of 355mL slim cans (US$10.99 SRP). The Paloma and Jamaica Hibiscus Cocktails are also available in a 700mL resealable can (US$4.99 SRP). VMC is 5.5% ABV per serving.
At this exclusive event on Sept. 21, 2023, Brand decision-makers and Marketing Service Suppliers will share and accelerate knowledge on crucial topics, including multicultural marketing, e-commerce marketing, and leveraging marketing technologies. To find out about networking solutions at Portada Live involving many brand decision-makers, please, contact Sales Coordinator Michelle Lopez at [email protected].
MetroPlusHealth
MetroPlusHealth, New York City’s high-quality and affordable health plan, launched a new user-friendly website providing a one-stop resource page for gig workers. Through this site, gig workers will have easy access to health care services and all the resources NYC agencies offer gig workers, including rights protection information, resource direction, employment opportunities, and mental health services. The online resource tool, developed in partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals, and City agencies including the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), helps address this gap by providing easy enrollment for gig workers and their families to MetroPlusHealth’s no-cost health, vision, and dental plan. New York City is home to about 65,000 app-based delivery workers, the majority of whom are migrants and members of minority communities. While these workers were anticipating a minimum wage to be instated in July, the raise was put on hold pending additional hearings, forcing many workers to choose between spending on housing, food, and their own health. MetroPlusHealth’s extensive network includes 34,000+ of the City’s top doctors, 40+ hospitals including NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, and NY Health + Hospitals, and 110+ urgent care sites including CityMD locations. Through a single point of entry, the MetroPlusHealth Essential Plan provides high-quality benefits and care management with a $0 premium, $0 deductibles, $0 co-insurance, and access to telehealth services.
