Kicking off college football season (and grilling!) with Kingsford
By Patrice Sherman, Earned Media Lead – Marketing
There’s starting to be a slight nip in the air. Kids are heading back to school. And leaves are beginning to change colors. It’s the first taste of fall and the kickoff of college football season in the U.S. Kingsford is tapping into our consumers’ affinity for this annual sports ritual through a new media partnership that will encourage more occasions to extend our own favorite season: grilling season!
Our “King of the Tailgate” campaign, focusing on states in the south central and southeastern U.S. where ideal grilling conditions can push well into the fall, will highlight passionate tailgate enthusiasts who live and breathe the art of community and togetherness through sports. We’ll have a presence at six tailgates at key games throughout the season, starting with a powerhouse matchup between Georgia and Alabama on Sept. 28 and ending with the first Lonestar Showdown since 2011 between Texas and Texas A&M on Nov. 30.
The tailgates will feature a huge fanfest. We’ll show off a custom 1976 Ford F-250 pickup truck branded with the classic Kingsford color scheme in what’s sure to be a fan-favorite photo op. And we’ll produce over 1,000 custom tailgate bags across eight university partners, creating the ultimate keepsake for college football and Kingsford fans alike.
We’ll also gin up additional excitement through other activations during the season. We’ll have a presence at the 2024 Texas State Fair in Dallas ahead of the historic Texas vs. Oklahoma Red River Rivalry game at the storied Cotton Bowl stadium. Local and national sweepstakes will provide fans with the opportunity to attend high-stakes, late-season college football games in style — with the chance to win prize packs featuring Kingsford merch. And we’ll post recipes highlighting regional barbecue traditions for each of our partner school communities on Kingsford.com so that college football and barbecue fans alike can get a (literal) taste of the action.
It’s all about meeting consumers where they are and delivering an innovative experience for them — a key part of our company’s IGNITE strategy. We’ll reach an engaged audience with least 30 million impressions through this campaign featuring video, stills and social placements.
So, follow @Kingsford on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as we travel from stadium to stadium, and tailgate to tailgate, scoring big wins for our consumers on and off the field.