
To be a Nascar driver, it takes quick thinking, steely resolve, sharp focus and mad skills. To be a Liquid Death-sponsored pro driver, it takes the ability to chug a can of the brand’s iced tea in 18 seconds or less. No road test required.
For its latest fan-centric program, Liquid Death will be giving $30,000 sponsor contracts to three Nascar devotees, similar to brand endorsements bestowed on the sport’s elite athletes.
Also included in the Liquid Death deal: a year’s supply of beverages, custom apparel featuring the fans’ faces, and VIP access and credentials at Nascar races. And whatever vehicle the three fans happen to own will be tricked out with a full Liquid Death Ice Tea body wrap, mirroring pro race cars.
The stunt embeds Liquid Death further into the mainstream sports world and allows the brand to “poke fun at traditional advertising tropes” by putting the emphasis on everyday fans rather than sports stars, per Greg Fass, Liquid Death’s vice president of marketing.
Liquid Death, for its line of flavored iced tea drinks, does have an official multi-year sponsorship with Nascar, announced with the brand’s infamous Murder Man mascot at the legendary Talladega Superspeedway in April.
The alliance includes Liquid Death sales at Nascar-owned tracks, campgrounds and tailgates across the U.S., along with on-site activations and experiences. The brand’s “Thirst Hearse” tours the tracks, handing out cold beverage samples.
Instead of additionally choosing a driver or team to sponsor, Liquid Death wanted to “flip the script and find three of the incredibly passionate fans of Nascar to sponsor instead,” Fass told Adweek.
A typically cheeky video, with Liquid Death’s trademark swagger produced by its in-house creative team, launches the search. Fans have until Nov. 10 to submit film themselves slamming a 19.2-ounce can of iced tea within the allotted time. There’s also an in-person tryout planned Oct. 4-6 during Nascar Playoffs Weekend at Talladega.
https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/liquid-death-iced-tea-and-nascar-are-looking-for-a-few-good-drivers/