Action!

One of the best parts of summer is spending time in the movie theater. Mega blockbusters send audiences flocking to theaters all season long. To keep these feature films top of mind, many studios team up with food and beverage consumer packaged goods companies for mutually beneficial sponsorships. Shoppers can bring their favorite on-screen characters into their homes through a variety of snacks.

Take for example, Disney's Cars 2, released in theaters nationwide on June 24. Characters from the animated Pixar flick can be found on a variety of products lining store shelves. This summer, packages of Nestlé's Juicy Juice brand are highlighting the movie's cartoon cars, and consumers can visit the company's website to vote for their favorite animated character and play games related to the picture.

Kellogg's is also getting in on the Cars 2 act. The company's specially marked participating products contain codes shoppers can collect and redeem online for prizes related to the movie. Items include Kellogg's cereals like Froot Loops, Corn Pops, and Apple Jacks; Eggo Waffles, Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars, and a variety of Keebler crackers and cookies.

But that's not all! Kraft Macaroni & Cheese boxes are currently featuring a Cars 2 promotion, and its Jet-Puffed Marshmallows are available this summer in car shapes for the film's launch.

Not to be outdone, Pirate's Booty, a healthy, baked rice and corn puff snack, is offering limited edition 7 ounce bag promoting Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The Disney movie hit cinemas May 20.

Finally, Harry Potter fans are anxiously awaiting the last installment of the wizard's adventures. The film enters theaters in just a few weeks. No doubt we'll see more Harry Potter food items in stores before the movie comes out July 15. Remember Jelly Belly's BeanBoozled jelly beans? The candies mixed flavors such as rotten egg and moldy cheese in with regular flavors like coconut and peach.

What movie tie-ins do you remember most? Drop me a line and tell me more!

Bowl Games Abound

Once the college football season is in the history books, bowl games begin. Throughout December and into January, college football teams compete for championship titles in match-ups across the country. Within the past few years, many companies have bought the rights to sponsor these bowl games, including retailers and food and beverage consumer packaged goods corporations.

One of the first bowl games of the season, the St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's, was scrutinized for its low attendance. The December 21 game at Tropicana Field attracted only 20,000 fans, the lowest attendance since its inception three years ago.

As the bowls continued, Florida International met Toledo on December 26 at the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Until this year, the pizza giant wasn't the only one to host a bowl game; the PapaJohns.com Bowl lasted until 2010 when BBVA Compass took over sponsor duties.

With food and football going hand-in-hand, it's no surprise that restaurants support the college playoffs. From the Chick-fil-A Bowl to the Outback Bowl, the games provide a unique advertising opportunity for the eateries, which lend their names to the games steeped in athletic tradition.

Food manufacturers are also involved with post-season college football. Some of the sport's biggest games, the Fiesta Bowl and the BCS National Championship are both sponsored by Frito-Lay under its Tostitos brand.

Kraft Foods has taken the opportunity to promote a bowl game one step further, using the sponsorship to raise awareness of an issue with its Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. The only game with a corporate social responsibility angle, the company will donate a meal to a food bank for every ticket sold.

Finally, retailers are certainly not left out of the mix. This year, Champs Sports hosted its own Bowl on December 28 and AutoZone took on the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve. Starting next season, the Meineke Car Care Bowl, held annually in North Carolina, will be renamed the Belk Bowl thanks to money from the Charlotte-based department store company.

Earlier this year, rumors flew that Reese's would take over FedEx's sponsorship of the Orange Bowl as Hershey made a bid to sponsor the game. Perhaps in the future, as this year's game was brought to fans by Discover.

How do you feel about companies sponsoring college bowl games: a creative use of advertising dollars or an over-the-top waste of money? Leave a message and share your thoughts!

Play Ball!

Tomorrow night, the World Series will begin. This year, the Texas Rangers take on the San Francisco Giants to battle it out in Major League Baseball's championship series. While baseball is associated with ballpark food like hot dogs, nachos, and Cracker Jacks, the game would not be possible without a home in which the teams can play ball. For that, many baseball franchises can thank food and beverage consumer packaged goods companies for sponsoring the sports fields and stadiums that bring us America's pastime.

It all started in 1926, when Wrigley became the first company to buy naming rights to a baseball stadium. Gum magnate William Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, named his team's stadium Wrigley Field. The trend caught on and continued.

The Colorado Rockies call Coors Field home. Since 1995 Coors Brewing Company in nearby Golden, Colorado, has owned the naming rights to the Denver stadium. The beer company is not alone, however, when it comes to naming baseball venues. Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, owes its name to Miller Brewing Company. Miller's $40 million contract as the title sponsor for the home of the Milwaukee Brewers runs through 2020. Another beer company, Anheuser-Busch, is behind Busch Stadium, where the St. Louis Cardinals play. The ballpark opened on April 4, 2006, and the brewer's naming rights deal, which will last through the 2025 season, helped to offset the stadium's original construction costs.

While beer and baseball go hand in hand, not too many fans would associate the sport with orange juice, but they should! Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, has been home to the Tampa Bay Rays since 1990. The domed stadium seats 36,973. Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, opened in 2000, and houses the Astros.

Retailers are into the naming act, too. Pet supplier PETCO owns the rights to PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres. Thanks to Target, the Minnesota Twins have their own venue and no longer have to share space with local college and pro football teams with the opening of Target Field this year in Minneapolis.

Food and beverage CPG companies aren't only involved in naming baseball stadiums. Since 2001, Heinz Field in Pittsburgh has been the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pitt Panthers. Within the football arena, the Coca-Cola Great Hall spans approximately 40,000 square feet and displays a collection of Steelers and Panthers memorabilia. Finally, hockey and basketball fans in Denver unite at the Pepsi Center for sporting events and concerts.

If you've attended a sporting event at one of these ballparks or sports venues, tell me about your experience! What other CPG companies or retailers would you like to see in lights as a stadium sponsor?

This Summer Brought To You By...

What are your plans for the summer? Concerts? Making s'mores over a fire pit? No matter what activities are on your schedule this season, you can be sure that your favorite food and beverage CPG companies will play a role in making those events happen.

Take for example, this summer's American Idol concert tour. Once sponsored by Kellogg's Pop-Tarts, the new M&M's Pretzel candies are sponsoring the 2010 live tour. The top ten contestants of season nine provided a sneak peek of the tour at a launch of the new product inside a giant M&M's Pretzels stage in New York city on June 1. A few weeks ago, Starburst also announced its summer concert series at Six Flags.

Hershey's is also hoping to help you make summertime memories with s'mores, the roasted marshmallow, melted chocolate treat nestled in between two graham crackers. Hershey's knows that summer is the ultimate s'mores season and is offering consumers a chance to download an exclusive song from Rascal Flatts to add to their summer soundtrack. "Your Day to Get Away" is free with the purchase of a Hershey's Milk Chocolate six-pack after the user registers and enters the UPC code from the wrapper.

Another much-promoted summer staple is the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which took place earlier this week on July 4 in Coney Island, New York. The hot dog maker has hosted the contest since 1916, which pits competitive eaters against each other for ten minutes to see who can eat the most hot dogs, including bun. The winner received a cash prize and the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt.

What events are you looking forward to this summer? Keep an eye out for corporate sponsorships and drop me a line if you see anything unique.