Brief:
- PepsiCo’s Mtn Dew soda brand and pizza chain Papa John’s on Thursday sponsored a live-streamed computer game contest between pro basketball gamer Jamal Murray and video gaming celebrity Dr DisRespect. The two dealt with off in the “Power Up, Play On!” face-off on YouTube, per an announcement.
- During the match, Murray and Dr DisRespect exposed the Mtn Dew x Papa John’s game controller, which has a button that lets players buy their preferred pizza or Papadia sandwich without stepping away from their console. The piece of hardware will be available to players next year, with additional info to come on Mtn Dew and Papa John’s social channels.
- Papa John’s also presented the “Power Up, Play On!” menu package that includes 2 Papadia sandwiches and Mtn Dew for $15. Players can buy the mix at Papa John’s shops and at its site. Mtn Dew and Papa John’s will have more video game-related promotions next year, another indication that marketers are looking to construct out their foothold in a category that’s grown under the pandemic.
Insight:
Mtn Dew and Papa John’s “Power Up, Use!” Livestream provides another instance of brand names establishing promos that combine characters from standard sports and computer games to boost awareness amongst a wider audience. The match pitted Jamal Murray, who plays in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets, versus Dr DisRespect, the online persona of Herschel “Man” Beahm IV, who has 3.2 million customers on YouTube.
With more homebound people watching video game live streams and esports tournaments throughout the pandemic, Mtn Dew and Papa John’s angled to reach viewers who are either long-time gaming fans or who began enjoying gaming-related programming in the absence of live sports. Campbell Soup and Target are embracing a comparable technique in their sponsorship of a virtual video gaming tournament centered around Madden NFL 21. The free-to-enter Chunky Million Meals Difficulty commences Dec. 19, and players have the possibility to be mentored by esports specialists and NFL professional athletes. The tournament will stream on the NFL’s Twitch and YouTube and run through the completion of January.
The Papa John’s and Mtn Dew tie-up is likewise notable for presenting a novelty video game controller that lets people order pizza from Papa John’s without disengaging from their video gaming sessions. The novelty device for players is reminiscent of the specialized video gaming headset that treats the brand name Pringles presented last year to feed its stackable potato crisps into a user’s mouth. The limited-edition headset was established as part of an advertising tie-in with Xbox Game Studios on the launch of its hit game “Gears 5.”
Novelty video game gear has become even bigger this year as brand names seek to use the huge promotion that Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox have produced with the intro of their first gaming consoles in seven years. Due to the fact that of the pandemic’s interruptions to international supply chains, the business hasn’t had the ability to stay up to date with the need of vacation shoppers. Amid the increased interest in the video gaming platforms, Bud Light last month rolled out a novelty video game console that’s insulated to keep beer cold, while Kraft Heinz’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese introduced a campaign for its Philly Series 5 kit, a mock console the brand name cheekily explained as a “spectacular development in cheesecake technology.”
