It’s no wonder NASCAR fans enjoy the sport. It’s chock-full of action, quality drivers, huge audiences, strategy, horsepower, high speeds and high drama.
So when our longtime client Anheuser-Busch InBev brought its Busch brand back to racing as the sponsor of Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Car, we jumped on the opportunity to bring it to life at NASCAR races.
In 2016, we were tasked with activating at one race – the Daytona 500. The success of one race turned into six, then those six races turned into an entire series of 16 activations for 2017, starting again with the Daytona 500.
Planning for the race took months. It’s the biggest race of the NASCAR season and attended by hundreds of thousands of people, so we knew we had to make a huge impression.
We leveraged a prime activation placement just outside of the Daytona International Speedway, designing and building an eye-catching center stage surrounded by custom flags, awnings and wrapped vehicles. We also constructed tents, as well as the massive truss structure that can be seen from above the Busch Racing show car. Then, we staffed and operated the entire experience from beginning to end.
Our goal was to create an open-ended experience where people could visit our space, hang out, enjoy each other’s company and still engage with the Busch brand. Guests enjoyed shooting games, happy hours and trivia questions, as well as giveaways and social media contests throughout the weekend. We also showcased Kevin Harvick and Busch Racing memorabilia, registered attendees for the Busch Bucks rewards program and hosted Kevin Harvick in the tent for highlighted appearances.
Overall the Daytona 500 was a huge success for not only for Busch, but also for Switch. “It’s cool to see it all come together, from conception to execution, which makes it very rewarding,” said Switch Program Manager Joe Rekowski, who spearheads most of our work with Busch Racing.
And the feeling is mutual with our Anheuser-Busch InBev client. “I just wanted to send a note to say thanks for the incredible effort at the Daytona 500. You guys really made the space come alive. I’m looking forward to seeing it at more events throughout the year!”
Thanks – so are we!