Dive Brief:
- Campbell’s Chunky soup brand merges football with the metaverse and livestreaming in the Chunky FuelUp Tournament, according to a press release.
- The Fortnite activation will include three branded challenges meant to test players’ speed, agility and accuracy. It was created in partnership with Spark Foundry, Campbell’s media agency of record and Beyond Creative, a Fortnite Creative developer studio.
- Consumers 18 years and older can compete for prizes like NFL tickets. The tournament runs from now until Feb. 3, with the top scoring participants to compete in a live event on Feb. 8 that will be streamed on Twitch by Nickmercs.
Dive Insight:
Campbell’s Chunky, a Campbell’s Soup Co. brand and the official soup sponsor of the NFL, is courting consumers in the metaverse with a new NFL tie-in timed around the playoffs that also includes drivers to encourage gamers to engage with brand on its own website and on Twitch.
The three Fortnite challenges — Spicy Soup Sprint, Protein Power Course and Hearty Hail Mary — merge football and soup in an interactive way. The tournament goes beyond Fortnite by enticing players to share their high scores on a dedicated website, ChunkyGaming.com, to be eligible for a range of prizes. Additionally, the top scorers will have the opportunity to show off their skills on Nickmercs’ Twitch channel, which has 6.6 million followers.
"Launching a Chunky metaverse experience is another step forward for the brand to intersect sports and culture," said Marci Raible, vice president of integrated marketing for Campbell's meals & beverages. "As we leverage our 25-year NFL partnership, this activation allows Chunky to connect with the gaming audience and offer an innovative brand interaction."
Fortnite activations have become an increasingly popular marketing activation for many brands, including Axe and Timberland. The game is popular among young consumers, making it a smart destination for those looking to reach that audience. However, brands are looking for ways to bring the virtual interactions into other arenas to create a robust and potentially lasting engagement with consumers, something the Campbell’s tournament attempts to accomplish with the ChunkyGaming.com and Twitch tie-ins.
