Whether it’s motocross or skateboarding, Mountain Dew has a history of backing extreme and action sports. The soda brand is now diving deep into drone racing in a new sponsorship with DR1 Racing.
The DR1 Invitational will make its television debut this August on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel, making it the first drone race to air on national broadcast TV. It will also be paired with a Twitch stream that will produce weekly content. Over the next month, five digital episodes will also dive promote the event and the 12 pilots that will be racing.
In addition to their partnership with DR1Racing, Mountain Dew also launched a creative TV commercial dubbed “drone hunting” that’s meant to take inspiration from the world of sport, tech and innovation. The ad was filmed in the forests of Casablanca, Chile.
What can fans and spectators expect from the real thing? Pilots are slated to face-off in a gauntlet of environmental and man-made obstacles as they fly their drones at speeds of more than 80 miles per hour. The inaugural race will take place at the Sepulveda Dam in Los Angeles this summer on a course designed by MultiGP and LMNO. Spectators can watch from above.
Brad Foxhoven, founder of DR1 Racing and producer of the DR1 Invitational, told [a]listdaily that drone racing’s biggest differentiator from competing leagues is their focus on the pilots.
“This gives us a lot more time to get to know them, see them fly, and have them compete against one another in a format that showcases their talent and skills. Fans want to see pilots like Ummagawd, BanniUK, and A-Nub compete against each other, and this type of race guarantees that,” Foxhoven said. “Fans can certainly expect to see a lot of flying with some of their favorite pilots.”
Mountain Dew secured a sponsorship with pilot Tommy “Ummagawd” Tibajia, making him the first drone racer to sign a deal with a brand.
Manos Spanos, Mountain Dew’s senior director of global brand marketing, joined [a]listdaily to discuss how drones are now a part of the “Do the Dew” global marketing campaign, and how caffeine and content tie in with their other recent interactive activations.
Mountain Dew’s partnership with DR1 Racing is another big step for the burgeoning discipline of drone racing and its cross-pollination with eSports. The International Drone Racing Association signed a multi-year, international media distribution deal with ESPN last month, and in 2015, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross invested $1 million into the Drone Racing League.
Brad Foxhoven, founder of DR1 Racing and producer of the DR1 Invitational, told [a]listdaily that drone hunting’s biggest differentiator from competing leagues is their focus on the pilots.
“This gives us a lot more time to get to know them, see them fly, and have them compete against one another in a format that showcases their talent and skills. Fans want to see pilots like Ummagawd, BanniUK, and A-Nub compete against each other, and this type of race guarantees that,” Foxhoven said. “Fans can certainly expect to see a lot of flying with some of their favorite pilots.”
Mountain Dew secured a sponsorship with pilot Tommy “Ummagawd” Tibajia, making him the the first drone racer to sign a deal with a brand.
Manos Spanos, Mountain Dew’s senior director of global brand marketing, joined [a]listdaily to discuss how drones are now a part of the “Do the Dew” global marketing campaign, and how caffeine and content tie-in with their other recent interactive activations.
What prompted Mountain Dew to jump on the drone racing wagon? Why is it a good fit for the brand?
Mountain Dew has always been a brand that progresses culture, whether it be progressing action sports through Dew Tour or being among the first brands to take on virtual reality, so being at the forefront of this burgeoning sport is perfect for Dew. We wanted to get in early and help to progress and shape the sport as it explodes onto the scene globally. The demographic that enjoys drone racing closely aligns with our brand—people who want to instigate and have a damn good time.
How do you explain what drone hunting is to someone who’s never heard of it? How do you sell them on the idea of this new culture?
The ‘drone hunting’ TV creative is part of our global ‘Do the Dew’ campaign that hinges on the belief ‘it doesn’t exist until you do it.’ We hope Dew Nation—from the U.S. to Thailand, from Brazil to Iceland—sees this exciting new creative as a global rallying cry to dream up new experiences and have a damn good time doing it. As Dew Nation grows around the world, so does the opportunity to create something exciting that never existed before.
Why was it important to secure Twitch as a partner?
Drone racing has a close connection to the e-gaming world through the first-person view and remote-controlled drones. It only made sense that we would partner with Twitch—the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers—to expand our reach and allow fans to view the live stream as well as a multitude of additional drone racing content through the DR1 Twitch channel.
How will the gaming and eSports demographic help drone racing grow?
Drone racing is very unique in that it bridges the worlds of technology, gaming and sport to appeal to a multitude of people. Having the backing of Twitch and the gaming community will only help the sport grow, as we know it is a very socially active community that is at the edge of discovery and instigating new trends.
Mountain Dew is using drones in the “Do the Dew” global campaign. What are some other ways you’re leveraging sports in marketing initiatives?
Because Dew Nation is an eclectic group with varied interests, we leverage several sports platforms, from our history in action sports and NASCAR to newer partners like the NBA, all to create a deeper connection and provide experiences to our fans that offer a damn good time. We have a rich history in action sports through Dew Tour, and are working with our partner The Enthusiast Network to innovate and progress the sport through new courses and formats. We also are serving up content to our Dew Tour fans through the new website DewTour.com.
Our longstanding relationship with NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt Jr. enables us to reach passionate racing fans, and this year we’ve extended our reach through partnerships with Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott. We’re working with them in the more traditional sense through our TV commercial for DEWcision 2016, but also engaging them in new ways through VR. It’s all about getting our fans closer to the experiences and people they love.
We are wrapping up year one of an exciting new partnership with the NBA where we are celebrating basketball culture and the intersection of sport, technology and art. Through a unique Google Tilt Brush activation at the NBA All-Star Game that allowed fans to create basketball-inspired art in VR, to an art installation called ‘Courtside Collection’ at the recently launched 3-on-3 basketball tournament—Dew NBA 3X—Mountain Dew is committed to bringing a damn good time to our fans through their varied interests.
Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan