• by Danielle Oster , September 23, 2024

Liquid Death’s latest NASCAR-sponsorship activation is putting fans in the driver’s seat.

Following the brand’s ascension to the title of official iced tea of NASCAR this spring, it kicked off the “Liquid Death Pro Driver” search this month, giving three fans the same treatment as sponsored NASCAR drivers. Each of the  winners will receive a $30,000 sponsorship deal from Liquid Death, custom Liquid Death merch featuring their face on a hat and shirt, and a year’s supply of Liquid Death Iced Tea, The will also have their vehicle fully wrapped in Liquid Death logos.

But to win, fans will have to be fast -- at chugging iced tea. Contest entrants must post a video of themselves in front of their vehicle, downing a can of the beverage in 18 seconds or less, using the “#liquiddeathprodriver” hashtag and tagging the brand ((@liquiddeath) by the Nov. 10 deadline. Alternatively, they can try their luck in person during festivities at Nascar Playoffs Weekend at Talladega Speedway on Oct. 4-6.. Winners will also get the “Pro” treatment at NASCAR races, including two reserved grandstand tickets, at-track garage tour and victory lane experiences, VIP credentials, and a NASCAR Racing Experience voucher.

The brand announced the promotional contest with an online video, explaining why it wanted to sponsor fans instead of drivers, and depicting fans chugging their way to victory (crushing and/or spiking the can optional). Liquid Death is also using on-site activations at specific NASCAR races, with the product also available at racetracks, campgrounds, and tailgates across the country, Greg Fass, Liquid Death marketing vice president, told Marketing Daily.

“With this partnership we can bring our entertainment-first approach to marketing to a new, super-engaged, and passionate group of fans,” he said. “These fans are so used to seeing their favorite drivers get all the endorsements, but NASCAR drivers can’t drive their race cars covered in logos to drop off their kids at school, or to the grocery store where you can buy Liquid Death Iced Tea. So we see a ton of value in sponsoring the fans.”

Some fans seem to be easily eclipsing the time threshold provided.

"Our search is still in the early days, but we’ve already seen some impressive submissions -- with quite a few coming in at under five seconds,” Fass said. Still, “it’s not all about speed. We’re going to be choosing our pro drivers based on speed and style.”