Oscar Mayer revs up NASCAR design challenge on social

Brief:

Oscar Mayer is giving racing fans a chance to design a paint scheme for the NASCAR stock car that carries its logo. The Kraft Heinz-owned brand of hotdogs, bacon and cold cuts is asking people to submit their designs to its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, per an announcement.
Oscar Mayer is the title sponsor of driver Ryan Newman and Roush Fenway Racing, whose No. 6 Ford Mustang is emblazoned with the meat brand's logo. Fans can download a car template from Oscar Mayer's social media accounts to help them design a meat-inspired paint scheme.
The winning design will race at the TicketGuardian 500 in Phoenix on March 8. Oscar Mayer will post on its social channels more details about how to submit designs and the deadline for entries, per the announcement.

Insight:

Oscar Mayer's contest to find a winning design for its stock car aims to connect with younger racing fans who are more likely to follow the sport and their favorite drivers on social media than to watch races live on TV. Social media contests have become a popular way to engage Gen Zers with participatory campaigns that inspire viral sharing and deeper, direct engagement with brands. Oscar Mayer has 31,500 followers on Twitter and 23,000 followers on Instagram, while its Facebook page has received more than 900,000 likes. Oscar Mayer's contest likely will help to boost its following on social media ahead of the Phoenix race in March.

Like other NASCAR sponsors, Oscar Mayer faces slumping TV ratings and declining attendance for the sport. To boost awareness, NASCAR this year launched a paid media effort to promote the sport outside of its own programming. It's also run social media campaigns to reach younger audiences who are more reliant on their smartphones for on-the-go entertainment.

We’re teaming up with @RyanJNewman & @RoushFenway for two more years! To celebrate YOU can design the next No. 6 car. Get a jump on your creation with this template https://t.co/nf4ke4TjNH. Stay tuned for details on how to get your car design on the track @ISMRaceway #MyNumber6 pic.twitter.com/HmavubYXXW
— Oscar Mayer (@oscarmayer) October 30, 2019

NASCAR saw a social media boost from a recent campaign called "Tag Your Favorite Sponsor" that urged fans to mark their Instagram posts with the account handles of brands. More than 100 NASCAR brands were mentioned in user posts, the association shared with Mobile Marketer. In September, NASCAR introduced an augmented reality experience sponsored by tire brand Goodyear that was available in its mobile app. In June, NASCAR began creating Instagram content to drive merchandise sales through the image-sharing app's new shopping features.

Oscar Mayer is among the brands that have run recent social media contests to boost engagement with consumers. Nestlé Purina PetCare this month asked dog lovers to post videos of their pets to social media for a chance to see them in a TV commercial during the National Dog Show, which its sponsors. Burger King, Chipotle Mexican Grill, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Kind Snacks and Mucinex also have launched challenge campaigns in the past month on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and other platforms.