MLB Sponsorship Spenders Planning in Q2 2022

1)  Stella Artois launches campaign as digital spend spikes

Stella Artois recently debuted two ads in which former NFL stars Eli Manning, Dan Marino, and Ryan Clark. The group surprised people by taking over their shifts so they could enjoy the Super Bowl. Mother was behind the spots, which are part of a larger “Make Time for the Life Artois” campaign.

According to Pathmatics, Stella allocated roughly $12.4m toward digital ads last year. Up 68% from the roughly $7.4m it allocated in 2020. In 2021, the brand earned ~1b digital impressions via YouTube (50%), Instagram (31%), Facebook (17%), Twitter (2%) and desktop display (1%) ads.

• Sellers: The brand tends to target men, particularly male sports enthusiasts. The increase in its digital spend, along with its reliance on YouTube and paid social channels, shows Stella is particularly targeting Gen-Z men. Remember, its TV commercials target both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. Per Kantar data, it additionally utilizes radio, OOH, print, and local broadcast.
• Agency and martech readers: We have not yet heard of a conclusion to the media review that parent company AB InBev kicked off late last year. Get in touch if you haven’t yet done so and can offer relevant services. Once the review concludes, we could see additional ones. The company tapped CMO Benoit Garbe in September 2021 and US data AOR Epsilon in February 2021. Epsilon handles data and audience strategy and management. Mother, the agency behind this new campaign, is Stella’s creative AOR. View AB InBev’s full roster here.

2)  Lay’s launches new campaign partnered with Seth Rogen & Paul Rudd

Lay’s recently released creative work featuring Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. The spot was made by Highdive (because when life’s a beach, they’re high diving). It introduces a new “Stay Golden” campaign and also included the launch of a #LaysGoldenDuet TikTok challenge. Fans can duet videos from Rogen’s and Rudd’s signing road trip scene in the ad.

Last year, Pathmatics reports Lay’s allocated around $26.4m toward digital ads, up 32% from when it allocated around $20m in 2020. The chip brand earned roughly 2.6b digital impressions in 2021 via Instagram (37%), Facebook (34%), desktop video (24%), Twitter (4%) and desktop display (1%) ads.

• Sellers: Right now, Lay’s is primarily targeting Gen-Z and millennials via TV, paid social, YouTube and OTT. While it’s not spending relatively a large portion of dollars on OTT, its usage of this channel may increase as it continues trying to reach Gen-Z. Kantar data reports Lay’s also invests in local broadcast. It holds planning conversations in Q1 and buying conversations in Q4.
• Agency and martech readers: We are working hard to determine whether Lay’s is working with Highdive on a project or AOR basis and will, of course, keep you updated. If the agency is an AOR, we may see additional roster shifts, making work potentially available for you. In the meantime, Winmo states Lay’s is working with creative AOR The Marketing Arm TX and media buying and planning AOR OMD NY. It also enlists BBDO’s creative assistance via BBDO Worldwide and BBDO ATL.

3)  Infiniti taps new marketing lead after appointing PR AOR

Just months after tapping PR AOR imre, auto brand Infiniti promoted Shelley Pratt to one of its top US-based marketing roles, that of marketing communications and media director. Replacing incumbent Phil O’Connor, Pratt now handles the strategic development and execution of the brand’s marketing communications and strategy. She joined Infiniti in 2017 and was most recently the senior manager and chief marketing manager of the brand’s sedans business.

According to Pathmatics, Infiniti spent roughly $18.4m on digital ads last year, up 50% from the roughly $12.3m it spent in 2020. In 2021, the brand ended up earning ~1.8b digital impressions.

• Sellers: Infiniti tends to target luxury-oriented men, especially millennials. Per Kantar data, the brand also invests in local broadcasts. It holds planning conversations in Q4 and buying conversations in Q3. Sellers should contact soon if able to offer relevant ad space.
• Agency and martech readers: Get in touch soon to secure potential creative, media, social media management, and/or digital analytics work. Your competition includes media AOR OMD, multicultural AOR fluent360, creative, social, and digital AOR Critical Mass, and experiential shop George P. Johnson.