• by Danielle Oster , September 23, 2023

After a COVID hiatus from 2020-2021, Munich’s famous 18-day beer festival returned for the second consecutive year, with the 188th Oktoberfest officially launched on Sept. 16.

Iterations of the beer festival will appear regionally around the world this month into October to mark the transition from summer to autumn. But it’s not just an important time for beer brands, as beer’s compatriot, pretzels, also has a long association with the event.

Pretzel brand Snyder’s of Hanover celebrates Oktoberfest’s marriage of beer and pretzels every year with a seasonal release. In previous years, Snyder’s has introduced a Snyder’s Pretzel Keg and Pretzelhosen. Among the many traditions at Oktoberfest is the stein-holding competition, and this year Snyder’s is offering a unique twist on the strength test to promote the release of its Beer-Flavored Oktoberfest Rings: the pretzelholding competition.

“At Snyder’s of Hanover, we are so obsessed with pretzels, we think Oktoberfest is a pretzel holiday that features beer,” a brand representative told Marketing Daily.”

Snyder’s is offering fans the chance to win their own two-foot-tall custom pretzel steins capable of holding a full bag of the pretzels so they can challenge friends and family to their own pretzelholding competition. From Sept. 21-30, pretzel fans can apply for a chance to win a Pretzelholding Starter Pack -- which includes robes and a championship belt, along with a pair of steins and a bag of the Oktoberfest Rings.

To hype the promotional giveaway and product rollout, Snyder’s created a campaign video styled to look like the introduction to a prize fight – while introducing the pretzelholding concept and detailing what fans can expect in the Pretzelholding Starter Pack. The video and other campaign assets debuted on Sept. 21 on Instagram, Meta, and TikTok, where they will continue to run for a full month. Elements will also run on YouTube from Oct. 2-21.