Dos Equis announces College Football Playoff marketing

Brand launches sweepstakes, Most Interesting Man Snapchat filter

Dos Equis, a brand of White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA and the first Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff (CFP), is encouraging fans to go for "Game Day Greatness" this season as part of the brand's commitment to premiumize and elevate the game day experience, the company says.

Consumers can win tickets to the CFP National Championship, get in on unparalleled game day experiences all season long and "Stay Thirsty" with the Most Interesting Man via filters and lenses on Snapchat, it says.

To culminate the first year of sponsorship, the Most Interesting Man's helicopter RV from the latest commercial also will be featured on-site at the CFP National Championship on Jan. 9, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Heineken USA’s historic, multi-year agreement with ESPN to become the Official Beer Sponsor of the CFP was signed in December 2015. The deal includes on-site, on-pack and integration rights and markings for the Playoff, New Year's Bowl games and the National Championship, the company says. "Working with the College Football Playoff and ESPN is a remarkable opportunity to help our consumers 'Stay Thirsty' during one of the biggest sporting events in America," said Andrew Katz, vice president of marketing for Dos Equis, in a statement. "2016 has been a groundbreaking year for the brand with this sponsorship, multiple partnerships with Snapchat and the evolution of The Most Interesting Man in the World, and we're committed to elevating the beer-drinking experience for fans whether at the stadium, at home or at their local watering hole."

ESPN's Gil Beverly, vice president of ESPN College Sports Marketing, said: "Dos Equis is known for their breakthrough creative. This leveraging of the Most Interesting Man is an example of elevating a smart campaign through the combined power of ESPN's leading platforms and through the positioning of being 'The Official Beer of the College Football Playoff,' to drive greater impact with this engaged, passionate audience."

In celebration of the first set of CFP rankings released on Nov. 1, the brand unveiled exclusive CFP packaging on its bottles of Dos Equis Lager Especial and Dos Equis Amber. Specially-marked bottles feature a code to give consumers an opportunity to enter the Dos Equis "Go for Game Day Greatness" sweepstakes, which includes a grand prize trip for two to the CFP National Championship in Tampa, Fla., the company says. Additional prizes like tailgating grills, tents, entertainment centers and TVs also are available. Consumers can enter online or via SMS text message.

Dos Equis will leverage the CFP on ESPN with new advertising creative for The Most Interesting Man in the World, it says. The first full-length commercial featuring the new Most Interesting Man launched in late October on SportsCenter, which gives a nod to the sport as he carves a coconut into a football at his Serengeti tailgate with his Helicopter RV. An additional version of the commercial utilizes ESPN's emerging VFX technology to transition from the Serengeti into a live, real-time football game. This marks the first VFX execution in college football and the first time a beer brand has used this technology, it adds.

The brand also will release two additional football-themed commercials later in November.

Dos Equis will continue its 2016 momentum being the first-to-market beer brand integration with Snapchat, launching a national filter during the National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. The filter will showcase Dos Equis' commitment to the CFP with The Most Interesting Man in the World, it says.

To premiumize and elevate the experience on-site, Dos Equis will be activating interesting and unique tailgates throughout the season, at conference championship games, including the SEC Championship in Atlanta in partnership with The College Football Hall of Fame, the "New Years' Six" bowl games, CFP Semifinals and the National Championship, it adds.

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