• by Erik Oster , September 5, 2023

With the start of the new NFL and college football seasons, there’s only room for so many brands on the official league and team sponsorship side of football marketing.

That leaves many brands with the choice of either sitting on the sidelines or getting creative with their marketing playbook to connect with fans in other ways.

While recent years have brought new opportunities for alcoholic beverage brands beyond beer, Diageo has mostly held control of the field for the category since becoming the NFL’s first official spirits partner in 2021.

Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey found a spicy alternative marketing approach to hype the 2023-2024 season, built around a universal truth of sports fandom: Half the fun is in the gloating.

The brand created a “Fireball Footbawl Cards” promotional offering, which includes a series of four “sympathy” cards packages, all in the spirit of good-natured ribbing between friends who are fans of opposing teams or competing against each other in a fantasy league.

While the condolences expressed may be fake, the whiskey inside is real, as each package includes a 50ml shooter bottle of Fireball. The release features mocking messages on both the outside and inside of each package, such as, “Heard you’re on a bit of a cold streak,” “"Burning question: is it hard for your team to be this bad?" and “Your team is terrible. But this isn't. Cheers."

"We know part of the fun of football is not only seeing your team win but also watching your friends’ teams lose,” said Fireball Global Brand Director Danny Suich. “And it’s even more fun to talk a little trash when things don’t go their way."

“With Fireball Footbawl Cards we're bringing the burn and raising a shooter to all those participating in football festivities – from die-hard fans to reluctant spectators,” he added. “If you prefer the season to be more fun and less serious, we’ve got you covered.”