Dive Brief:

• Michelob Ultra Pure Gold is offering a six-month salary of $50,000 to a new CEO — as in "chief exploration officer" — the company said in an email to Marketing Dive.
• The position involves traveling across the country to explore national parks as part of the brand's partnership with the National Parks Foundation. The company will provide a van, gas money and beer, according to the email. Applicants ages 21 and up have until Sept. 30 to apply for the job.
• As brands look to tap into renewed interest in road trip-type travel, the chief exploration officer will document their journey, so that Michelob Ultra can share content on its social media channels, per the email.

Dive Insight:

Michelob Ultra's search for a chief exploration officer combines a few recent trends popular with beer brands. Through a partnership with the National Parks Foundation, Michelob is tapping into demand for road trip-type travel that has seen increased interest due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on other types of vacations and travel, like via airlines. In kind, rival MillerCoors has provided consumers with opportunities to escape from the pandemic and other stressors. Earlier this month, Miller Lite partnered with Hotels.com to set up a 1975-themed rental complete with 70’s themed games and decor, while Coors Light offered to send consumers to travel destinations based on their video chat backgrounds.

In addition, Michelob Ultra is parodying the hiring of a C-suite executive with its new meaning for "CEO." The chief exploration officer won't be the first short-term hire meant to drum up entertaining content for a brand. Last month, fellow AB InBev brand Bud Light Seltzer sought a chief meme officer to curate memes across the brand's social media accounts for $5,000 per month. Similarly, this position is expected to yield social media content for the brand that may be more engaging for younger consumers than traditional advertising.

Though marketers have been creating fun "jobs" for select fans, the campaign comes as the pandemic continues to cause unemployment for millions of Americans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Sept. 4, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 8.4%, stemming in part from gains in retail, professional services, hospitality, education and health services jobs. The unemployment crisis provides an opportunity for savvy brands to market around job creation. In response to the widespread joblessness spurred by the coronavirus induced-downturn, Red Wing Shoes enlisted Burger King, New Balance and 50 other companies to promote their job openings during Labor Day weekend.