Welcome to The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the CPG space.
Bud Light becomes “official beer” of the UFC, replacing Modelo
On Thursday, AB InBev announced a multiyear partnership with mixed martial arts organization UFC, making it the “official global beer partner of UFC,” AB InBev’s Anheuser-Busch “the official beer partner of the UFC” and Bud Light the “official beer of the UFC” in the U.S.
Kicking off in 2024, the sponsorship is a move by the beer giant to “connect with consumers in new occasions,” AB InBev Global Chief Marketing Officer Marcel Marcondes said in a statement, noting that “UFC has become an undeniable force in the sports industry.”
CNN’s Jordan Valinsky reports that the move is “part of a broader effort to revive Bud Light from a sales slump following a partnership with a transgender influencer that sparked a backlash among its core customers.” The deal actually marks a reunion for AB InBev and the UFC. In 2017, Bud Light competitor Modelo — distributed in the U.S. by Constellation Brands — took over “as the UFC’s beer sponsor from Bud Light as part of a six-year partnership,” Marketing Dive’s Chris Kelly reports.
Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch will benefit from prominent branding at every UFC event, integration into broadcast features and the creation of original branded content. According to a statement, AB InBev has the opportunity to reach more than 700 million fans in 170 countries through the UFC’s global footprint, as well as an estimated 900 million households through UFC broadcasts.
Dove, Nike partner with Venus Williams to launch program focused on improving girls’ body confidence
In an effort to improve adolescent girls’ body confidence, Nike and Dove are teaming up with tennis legend Venus Williams to launch a new program called Body Confident Sport, with the goal of reaching more than one million young people, per a statement from Dove. The program is informed by research from both brands revealing that, globally, 45% of teenage girls drop out of sports — twice the rate of boys — with low body confidence being the biggest driver. Designed with 11- to 17-year-old girls in mind, Body Confident Sport is said to be the first-of-its-kind set of coaching tools “proven to reduce self-objectification and increase body-esteem,” according to Dove’s statement.
“Sports have the potential to make girls feel confident and strong, yet for so many, the judgment and criticism they face within the sports environment is damaging their confidence and limiting their self-belief,” Dove Chief Marketing Officer Alessandro Manfredi told Fashion Network’s Jennifer Braun.
Co-developed by both brands in partnership with experts and with input from girls and coaches in six countries, Body Confident Sport has been two years in the making. The program will be delivered online through a global network of sports clubs and school organizations.
Related news:
• “Dove Launches Marketing Campaign to Celebrate Hair Diversity” (Happi)
Skechers enters basketball with new line, partnership with NBA players Julius Randle and Terance Mann
One day after the start of the NBA season on Tuesday, Skechers announced its foray into basketball with the launch of a new line of sneakers and a campaign starring NBA players Julius Randle and Terance Mann. As Skechers Basketball ambassadors, Randle and Mann, who play for the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers respectively, will star in brand campaigns and wear Skechers’ new shoes on the court.
The partnership is not a first for Skechers, which in August signed soccer star Harry Kane, Ad Age’s Adrianne Pasquarelli reports. “The brand also works with golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooke Henderson, pickleball players Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau, and Clayton Kershaw, a Dodgers pitcher,” she notes.
The new shoes represent the start of a “long-term investment” in basketball that will include more partnerships with players, Skechers President Michael Greenberg said in a statement.
Kraft Heinz creates Capri Sun campaign that plays up kids’ epic moments
Following Capri Sun’s formula change last summer, which reduced the amount of sugar by 40%, the 50-year-old brand has debuted a new campaign titled “It’s Gonna Be Epic,” Marketing Dive’s Chris Kelly reports. The first major campaign for the Kraft Heinz brand since the change, it focuses on small moments where kids feel in charge, such as bike rides and basketball games — moments “that seem small to adults but feel epic to kids,” Kelly notes.
“It’s Gonna Be Epic” will debut on the new Dude Perfect streaming platform via display ads and other activations, as well as other connected TV and audio platforms.
Further reading
• “Keurig Dr Pepper to invest $100m in coffee manufacturing facility” (FoodBev Media)
• “Snickers and NFL Encourage Fans to Share Their ‘Rookie Mistakes’ in AR” (Adweek)
• “Unilever to sell Dollar Shave Club” (Retail Dive)
• “Hill’s Pet Nutrition Opens New Smart Factory” (Quality Assurance & Food Safety Magazine)
• “Pepsi’s Nostalgic 125 Diner Opens Its Doors in NYC” (Muse)
• “Instacart partners with The Trade Desk to boost retail media for CPG brands” (Winsight Grocery Business)
• “Chips Ahoy Highlights Multicultural Artists Using Augmented Reality” (Adweek)
• “Keurig Dr Pepper enters sports hydration with Electrolit distribution deal” (Just Drinks)
• “Nestlé expands Coffee mate creamer into fast-growing iced coffee” (Food Dive)
