Dive Brief:

• Captain Morgan, a Diageo brand, is bringing back its “Follow the Captain” scavenger hunt for the 2024 NFL season with an expanded activation that taps into cultural moments and extends beyond game day, according to a press release. 
• The season-long activation will kick off with a game day experience on Sept. 26, where fans will step aboard a Hudson River cruise with Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz that features a performance by rapper Aminé.
• The effort supports the brand’s role as the official spiced rum sponsor of the NFL and includes a New Orleans street takeover during the Super Bowl as well as a merchandise collaboration.

Dive Insight:

The current NFL season marks Captain Morgan’s fourth year as sponsor. The Captain Morgan-NFL partnership reflects continued changes in consumer tastes, as beer —traditionally a big part of the NFL fan experience — loses ground and spirits make gains. 

For the second iteration of its “Follow the Captain” scavenger hunt, consumers are once again tasked with locating QR codes hidden in places such as stadiums, bars, liquor stores and on social media. Scanning the codes connects users to FollowTheCaptain.com for an interactive experience and opportunity to win prizes. This time around, the brand builds on the activation with new elements, such as a launch party, to make the campaign feel fresh. 

Both Cruz and Aminé were involved in last year’s activation as well. This year, the two will be merging the physical and digital aboard a cruise. Beyond the cruise, the rum brand will also appear at game day celebrations, such as tailgates and pregames. The effort also includes a Captain Morgan take on Friendsgiving and a merch collaboration planned for later in the season.

The effort arrives as parent company Diageo’s Q4 2024 reflected a challenging marketplace, with the company reporting a net sales decline of 0.6%, according to its earnings report. This was mostly due to a weaker performance in the Caribean and Latin America. 

Captain Morgan is just one brand looking to make the most of the return of football season. Among other efforts, Pepsi rolled out a “Gladiator”-inspired campaign, while Tostitos went all-in on its largest NFL campaign to date.