Activating in the great outdoors is serving as a pandemic-proof strategy for brands looking to connect with consumers face-to-face, and sponsorship activations at the X Games Aspen, Jan. 21-23 at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Colorado, were no exception. In addition to world-class action sports competitions broadcast by production partner ESPN, the free annual event included the X Fest fan experience, encompassing partner activations from brands like Wendy’s and Monster, live dj sets and athlete meet-and-greets. To boot, fans could attend several events produced in partnership with Aspen Gay Ski Week, as well as nightly performances from the likes of Illenium and Louis the Child (attendees 12 and older were required to provide proof of vaccination in all spectator viewing and festival locations).
For those watching the event at home, the X Games app, powered by Verizon, provided a completely new way to be immersed in the event through AR- and VR-powered experiences. But we’re taking it right to the slopes, where sponsors engaged a sports-loving crowd in the flesh with sampling, swag and photo moments.
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MONSTER
Monster Energy’s athlete partners snagged 23 medals at X Games Aspen, and fans could catch all the action at the brand’s outdoor deck and lounge. The branded space included a dj spinning tunes, free Monster product sampling and large TVs with live feeds of the competitions and exclusive brand content. There was also on-mountain branding and plenty of product distributed across the entire X Games footprint for athletes, staff and fans at multiple touchpoints. Agency: In-house.
JEEP
Jeep, a 19-year X Games Aspen sponsor, returned as the event’s official automotive partner with a fleet of vehicles, fan engagements and extensions across broadcast, linear, social and digital. On-site, the brand shined a spotlight on three particular models: the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Hybrid and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve. Fans who opted for a test drive in one of the vehicles snagged a branded giveaway and were automatically entered into a drawing for a $400 Rossingol gift card. Two gift cards were distributed each day of the Games. Attendees could also register to win $100,000 towards a new Jeep, and spin a prize wheel for the chance to earn some swag.
Photo credit: Rich Storry/ESPN Images
PACIFICO
Pacifico beer had footprints in two beer garden locations within X Fest that provided fans with shareable experiences as they sipped ice-cold brews, mountainside. A branded Airstream trailer was on-site serving samples, and attendees could participate in a ski simulator experience, snap a shot in a branded gondola photo booth and earn prizes and giveaways all weekend long.
Photo credit: Eric Lars Bakke/ESPN Images
WENDY’S
Wendy’s, which recently debuted its Hot & Crispy fries, served as the official fries of X Games Aspen, and its presence at the event wasn’t exactly subtle. At X Fest, for instance, attendees were drawn in by a giant, illuminated Wendy’s Fry Box. Anyone could walk up to the installation to receive free French Fry gloves and Frosty key tags, which they can use to get a free Wendy’s Jr. Frosty with purchase through the end of the year.
The Hot & Crispy product was also on display at the Wendy’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck nighttime event, where the brand showed up with a Fry Box-themed ski rack filled with one-of-a-kind Wendy’s French Fry skis, and incorporated content integrations with X Games hosts Jack Mitrani and Victoria Arlen. Agency: The Marketing Arm.
Photo credit: Wendy’s
SKREWBALL WHISKEY
First-time X Games Aspen sponsor Skrewball Whiskey hosted a fan activation outside of X Fest’s Beer & Wine Garden. Touchpoints included photo ops, a live dj, giveaways, peanut butter whiskey sampling and warm Skrewball beverages like boozy hot cocoa and coffee. Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White joined the activation as a friend of the brand to serve up shots and present Skrewball’s $25,000 donation to nonprofit organization STOKED. Funding will be used to help STOKED fulfill its mission to bridge the opportunity gap for low-income, BIPOC youth. The donation was tied to Skrewball’s larger commitment to supporting those in need, which in the early days of the pandemic included traveling across the country in a “Sheep Wagon” to deliver random acts of kindness to communities severely impacted by the pandemic. Agency: Hatch.IM.
Featured photo credit: Monster
