Dive Brief:

• Mars' Snickers candy is expanding its partnership with the WWE, now in its third constructive year, for WrestleMania 34, per news made available to Marketing Dive. WWE is creating custom content for Snickers, where superstars will feature in the brand's "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign appearing on WWE's digital and social platforms, WWE Network and its flagship TV programs, "Monday Night Raw" and "SmackDown Live" on USA Network. 
• Snickers will also play a role at WrestleMania Axxess, WWE's four-day, interactive fan festival, and have a presence at WWE live events leading up to WrestleMania, including retail promotions.  Branded digital and social content will be shared on WWE.com and also includes a YouTube series hosted by WWE digital correspondent Cathy Kelley. Snickers will additionally create a sponsored Instagram Story on the day of WrestleMania for WWE's 14 million followers. 
• Other features of the partnership include Snickers' sponsorship of a free block party during WrestleMania 34, which will be held on April 8 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Snickers is also running retail sweepstakes on U.S. military bases giving 25 winners free access to stream WrestleMania on WWE Network. 

Dive Insight:

Snickers can tap into an active, dedicated niche of fans with its WWE partnership, which spans out-of-home channels, YouTube, social media and TV placements on the WWE Network and USA Network. An integrated, multichannel approach is a way for the Mars brand to extend its long-running You're Not You When You're Hungry campaign, potentially reaching new consumers who pay close attention to appearances by their favorite superstars. The highly popular WrestleMania and its related events also draw tens of thousands of fans every year, according to the website Bleacher Report, and attendance continues to grow. 

While the event may still pull in strong TV figures, the two groups are smart to put a heavier emphasis on social media and online channels like YouTube for the extension of their partnership, especially when trying to connect with younger audiences. Snickers isn't alone in eyeing branded YouTube series to tap into age segments like Gen Z and the younger millennial set: Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s Hollister brand recently expanded a partnership with AwesomenessTV for a 12-episode original YouTube series starring social media influencers. Instagram Stories are also proving increasingly popular with teens and young adults looking for quick, snackable video content in a collage-type format.  

Last year, Snickers' partnership with WrestleMania 33 earned the candy brand 3 billion impressions across WWE's platforms, including video content integrations with USA Network shows, digital, social media, WWE Network, live events and retail appearances by WWE personalities, the news release said.