When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs faced off for Super Bowl LV earlier this month, in-person brand activations were limited due to safety concerns amid the pandemic. But specialty cheese brand Président had a new product to promote. Having recently launched its snack-size Pub Cheese served with pretzels, it decided to take the experience directly to one lucky superfan—and then adapt the gameday festivities into a road tour that will bring sampling directly to consumers at major retail grocers.
The physical activation was mini, just like the cheese. Président and agency partners built a tiny pub—a play on the product’s name—and filled it with the fixin’s you’d find in one: a dart board, a bartender, a big screen TV, pints of beer, veggie platters and lots of the Pub Cheese product. Once Président identified the right Tampa Bay superfan—found through scouring social media—the brand wheeled the pub right to his own backyard for the afternoon of the Big Game.
Président Cheese brought a tiny pub to one Tampa Bay superfan on Super Bowl Sunday.
“We had a new product, and with COVID there isn’t any actual sampling. Then the Super Bowl was coming around. It was perfect for us to come up with a solution to gain trial for our new items in an outdoor setting,” says Faith Rutzen, senior marketing manager at Président. The fan was able to enjoy the game with his immediate family as the bartender hired for the day—previously out of work due to COVID—served up snacks and drinks.
Now the brand is taking the mini pub on the road and making stops at large grocers along the way. It will park it in parking lots and serve snacks and soft drink beverages. Consumers can track where the pub lands through the brand’s Instagram handle and a campaign landing page, and social media amplification will help spread the word.
In general, Président has reached out to consumers more often during the pandemic through social media to educate consumers about its products, Rutzen says. She’s anticipating 300-500 people visiting the pub per day at the grocer parking lots. Markers will be placed six feet apart to keep people safely distanced in line and outdoor pub tables will be set up six feet apart as well.
“The number one strategic marketing goal for the Snack-Sized Pub is trial. We know from previous consumer tests that they love the product. They love that it’s portable and that it’s cheese with mini pretzels that they can take anywhere. And by giving trial from the pub, it alleviates that pressure to pay for something and try something new.” Agencies: Solve, Minneapolis (creative); Clamor, Minneapolis (build).
