Cap’n Crunch sails into Coachella Valley for birthday celebration

Dive Brief:

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, cereal brand Cap’n Crunch is throwing itself a birthday party that coincides with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, according to a press release.
The Cap’n’s Cove birthday bash will take place on April 15 during the first weekend of the festival at the Lone Palm Pool at Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs. It is open to fans of legal drinking age and will include music, a bar, experiential art installations and exclusive merchandise.
The Quaker Oats Company mainstay is the latest brand to engage with consumers around culture by making a connection — even unofficially — to Coachella. Those not in the Coachella Valley area have an opportunity to join in the festivities by purchasing a limited-edition box of the product in birthday cake flavor.

Dive Insight:

Despite not being on festival grounds officially, Cap’n Crunch is looking to take advantage of Coachella hype in order to throw a massive birthday bash in the valley. The cereal brand’s event, on April 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST, will feature major music acts, free alcohol and other perks which may appeal to festival goers. Fans of the cereal can also enjoy brunch items inspired by the product along with drinks from the galley bar.

Cap’n Crunch’s birthday event plays into nostalgia, while also creating an adult-space for festival goers to relax and listen to music. DJ Pee.Wee — an alias of Grammy-winning musician Anderson .Paak — will play an all-vinyl set before a performance from actress and musician Reneé Rapp, who will also curate the event’s “Crunch-centric” menu. The stage will be modeled after the S.S. Guppy, Cap’n Crunch’s ship, and the first 500 guests will receive a free drink ticket.

For those not in the area, there will be exclusive merch giveaways, along with a special playlist released on Spotify and Pandora. To further play into the nostalgia factor, the cereal released a birthday-themed mashup of Chic’s “Good Times” and 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” These digital efforts could help extend the campaign beyond the Coachella Valley.

As the public returns to in-person events as the coronavirus pandemic recedes, Coachella seems to be on the must-attend lists of many advertisers. While alcohol brands such as Aperol and Absolut seem to be obvious choices for the festival, more unlikely brands have also found success marketing around the event. During the 2022 festival, for example, Lay’s served a four-course tasting meal.