Brief:

• Frank's RedHot​, the brand of hot sauce marketed by McCormick, plans to host a Twitter sweepstakes during the Super Bowl as part of its "I Put That $#!t on Everything" campaign, according to its website.
• Instead of a pricey TV spot, Frank's is asking viewers to watch other brands' commercials and to tweet the chili pepper emoji, an emoji related to the ad's category and the hashtag #FranksSweepstakes during the commercial break in which the ad airs. The tweets will be entered into a drawing for a variety of prizes that correspond with the respective ads: a Kia Soul for an auto commercial, a trip to Mexico for an Avocados from Mexico ad and a sponsor-selected Kegerator during an adult beverage ad, among others, according to the contest rules.
• The contest runs on Super Bowl Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. ET. Frank's broader marketing campaign was developed by Grey New York, will include 30-, 15- and six-second TV and online ads and features a partnership with YouTube chef Andrew Rea, Adweek reported.

Insight:

While the concept of the sweepstakes is line with the brand's "Put Frank's On Everything" tagline, the hot sauce brand isn't the only one opting to not drop $5 million for a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl. Instead, Frank's and other marketers are choosing to deploy counter-programming efforts, or ambush strategies, in order to appeal to younger, tech-savvy audiences that don't typically respond well to traditional advertisements.

These younger game viewers are more likely than older generations to watch the game while also browsing social media and other smartphone apps, suggesting that they may be more likely to participate in Frank's Twitter sweepstakes. If a large enough group of people participate, the #FranksSweepstakes hashtag may end up trending on Twitter during the game, which could boost its discoverability among users.

Similarly, Volvo also plans to run an ambush campaign that will compete for viewer attention. The carmaker, which isn't an official sponsor of the game, will launch a website this week that challenges mobile users to keep their eyes on a video of a car for as long as possible. The "S60 Longest Drive" contest kicks off at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3, just before the game's 6:30 kickoff. Three people who keep their eyes on the car the longest will have the chance to win a Care by Volvo subscription to the S60.

Volvo and Frank's may get more bang for their buck with their ambush campaigns, considering the cost of Super Bowl ads this year, compared to a lower-cost digital, social and non-Super Bowl TV campaign. By leveraging mobile and social platforms, the carmaker and hot sauce brand have a chance to reach a younger audience than the Super Bowl typically has. Most (83%) of the big game's viewers are between the ages of 35 and 74, according to mobile video ad network AdColony.