A Taste for Brand Building: Jack Link’s and the Art of the Sponsorship

From its wildly popular Messin' With Sasquatch advertising campaign to a then first-of-its-kind augmented reality experience LivingSasquatch.com, Jack Link's Beef Jerky has combined marketing savvy with edgy creative—and consumers have been eating it up.

One of the key ways Jack Link’s has become a monster brand is through a masterful approach to combining content with advertising—a topic I’ll dive into with my next blog post. In particular, they’ve employed an array of sponsorships as a way to reach a key demographic: young males. By choosing platforms and activities that teens and twenty-somethings are engaged in, from poker to competitive biking, the entrepreneurial company continually ups the ante in how they spend their marketing dollars.

And now they’re bringing their irreverent approach to Xbox LIVE. Starting today, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky will sponsor the launch of Hulu Plus™ on Xbox 360 by “unlocking” Hulu Plus content for all Xbox LIVE members for one week—no Hulu Plus or Xbox LIVE Gold subscription is required. The Jack Link’s sponsorship includes a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to a Beaches Resort, an Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect and other prizes. Just download the Hulu Plus application from Xbox LIVE, and then enjoy some of the streaming TV shows or movies to enter the sweepstakes.

Hulu Plus on Xbox LIVE continues our evolution into a full-on entertainment hub.  With instant streaming of current content—from Modern Family to 30 Rock—as well as back seasons of a number of shows, we’re anticipating Hulu Plus will be a big hit with our audience, who crave entertainment in all forms.

That Hulu Plus is coming to Xbox LIVE is a very big deal, and because it will be enabled by Kinect, it ushers in a new way for our audience to interact with content – through motion and voice. What I love about the Jack Link’s sponsorship is that it covers all the angles for the brand: association with an anticipated entertainment offering, delivery of their message through an immersive platform, and finally, a sweepstakes that further engages the audience. It’s a 1-2-3 punch that other brands may want to take note of. Sasquatch aside, it’s clear that when it comes to smart integrated marketing, there’s no messin’ with Jack Link’s.

Thank you,

Mark Kroese, GM for Advertising in our Entertainment & Devices Division

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