Pepsi delivers ‘Tailgate in a Box’ to football fans

According to news shared with Marketing Dive consumers can enter for a chance to win one of 20 kits of ‘Tailgate in a Box’.

Homegating

With the latest leg of its “Made for Football Watching” campaign, Pepsi is emphasizing what it calls “homegating,” where the brand aims to help diehard fans keep their tailgating traditions going even as large gatherings are prohibited and many stadiums may not allow in-person attendance for the upcoming season.

Pepsi, a longtime NFL partner, has adjusted its sports marketing strategy ahead of season kickoff due to disruptions stemming from the pandemic. With the continued spread of the virus around the U.S., typical sponsorship occasions and in-stadium activations are on hold, which has shifted the soft drink marketer’s focus to the home.

Box inside

Valued at nearly $5,000, the package includes a 16-square-foot tailgating box that comes equipped with an outdoor projector, custom cornhole sets and a variety of Pepsi products.

Consumers can enter for a chance to win one of 20 kits through a microsite the soft drink marketer set up for its latest professional football marketing platform, “Made for Football Watching,” which debuted last week. Though the health crisis has made things less certain for marketers overall, it has played into areas of business where Pepsi is investing more heavily, including direct-to-consumer strategies and in-home brand experiences. So consumers can buy Pepsi products right from the microsite, from the webshop.

“It’s (NFL season) just going to look a little bit different this year, but I do think you’re going to see a growing importance of the home. This is where everybody is spending all of their time.” said Todd Kaplan, VP of marketing at Pepsi to Marketing Dive.

Jets superfans’s big day

In the campaign Pepsi also paved over 1,500 square feet of front yard of a couple of New York Jets fans from New Jersey.

„Stadiums may be empty this year, but football fandom is still going strong. Since we’re all watching the games from home, we wanted to help someone take it to the next level. So we found a JETS superfan, paved their lawn, and made them a tailgate.” writes the foreword to the video.

The parking lot-style refurbishment, highlighted in social videos promoted by Pepsi, comes with stadium lighting, a parking booth, a grill, an inflatable Jet, a painted end zone and more. Hall of Famer and former Jets running back Curtis Martin taped a personal message for the couple as part of the effort.