Our Award-Winning Work
In 2007 alone, Millsport earned nine awards for its sports marketing programs, including a prestigious Cannes Gold Lion, Promo PRO Award, Globes Award, Stevie Award, Ex Award, and a Bill Veeck Sports Marketing Award from St. Louis University.
Tostitos Team Build
Objective
Tostitos' marketing goals were to increase awareness, improve brand equity, increase purchase frequency and communicate a new brand message. When presented with the halftime promotional creative brief, Millsport was tasked with additional objectives given the unique dual game model. Tostitos was looking for an idea that:– Delivered a compelling two minute window of airtime during each game
– Conveyed one cohesive idea that united the two BCS bowl games under a theme of “Better Together”
– Leveraged the week in between games for PR opportunities
– Communicated the Brands new messaging: Good Things Happen at the Tostitos
– Continued the charitable/emotional connection of past programs.
With two games to activate around, Tostitos was challenged with limited funding and the Agency was required to generate an idea that could be successfully executed under $250,000.
Strategy
In June 2006, the Agency and Tostitos Brand team began creative development on a new halftime promotion that would have to meet several objectives as listed above. For the next month the Agency, along with the Brand, brainstormed numerous ideas until a consensus decision was reached to move forward with a concept entitled the “Tostitos Team Build.” This concept featured a surprise on-field reveal to a family during the TFB which would kick off construction on their new home and culminate with a video montage of the entire experience during the NCG.To make the surprise possible, Tostitos partnered with Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun, the local Arizona Habitat affiliate. Habitat looked through their current list of home applicants and discovered Fred Banks met all our criteria. This single father was already approved and a part of the Habitat program, his lot would be ready to build on anytime after January 1st and he would have completed his 400 hours of “sweat equity” on other Habitat homes to qualify by January 1st. Fred was told that he had been selected for a “football throw for cash” during halftime of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl to raise funds for the Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun. Fred Banks was told he would attempt a 5-yard pass through a round target placed on an 11-foot tall bag of Tostitos Baked Scoops. If successful, Tostitos would make a *$100,000 donation to the Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun.
What Fred Banks wasn’t told was that Tostitos was going to make sure he did not miss that throw. Cheerleaders from the participating schools in the TFB of Boise State and Oklahoma were going to rip down the small hole revealing a much larger opening. But most importantly once Fred completed the toss, Tostitos was going to announce the kick off to construction on his new home. Most Habitat homes take 15-16 weeks to complete. The Tostitos Team Build was going to start right away and his new home would be finished by the following weeks NCG.
In early August, the Agency presented the halftime promotional concept to the top programming and marketing executives at FOX and was given official approval a short time after.
With network approval in hand, the focus now turned to the program’s planning and production, which would require working closely with three distinct entities: Habitat for Humanity, FOX Broadcasting team and the Fiesta Bowl organizers. With so many different partners, the planning process would prove to be incredibly complex.
On January 1st Fred Banks completed the throw during the TFB halftime and was stunned to learn his home would be finished in just one week. During that week, the Agency worked closely with Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun as volunteers worked tirelessly to complete construction. Fred was also required to pitch in and help per Habitat guidelines. Millsport coordinated work shifts with the local alumni chapters of the participating championship teams, Ohio State and Florida. Alumni were encouraged to show their team spirit by wearing their team colors. Tostitos provided t-shirts, hard hats, work aprons and a snack tent throughout the week as these rival fans worked together on Mr. Banks home. Tostitos Team Build provided a wonderful opportunity for these normally fighting foes to put their rivalry aside and do something good for Fred and his family.
Millsport worked closely with the film crew and PR team during the week as they captured the Tostitos Team Build on film and compiled a touching montage that aired during the NCG on January 8th. After the video aired during halftime of the NCG, Fred Banks and his family were introduced on field. Surround by Ohio State and Florida volunteers, Fred and his family were presented the ceremonial key by a Tostitos and Habitat representative.
Major planning elements included coordination of Fred Banks and his family, securing all alumni volunteers, working on all execution elements with Habitat for Humanity surrounding the build, scripting the on-air copy for both games, managing PR initiatives, coordinating all video capture elements and edits, overall scheduling, design and production of all on-field props, staging, and event execution.
Results
In addition to the exposure value provided by both game telecasts, which was valued conservatively at over $735,000, the “Tostitos Team Build” generated strong post-game media results as well. A conservative estimate placed total post-game media impressions at 17 million (not including the in stadium audience), with an estimated media value equivalency of approximately $1.8 million.Coverage of the event was seen nationally on various Fox news channels as well as several local news placements and print publications.
