Dive Brief:

• Crown Royal, a Canadian whisky owned by Diageo, has partnered with Uber Eats and retired NFL safety Ed Reed to match tips given to couriers on the delivery app one hour before Sunday kickoff for 1 p.m. games in select cities, per a press release.
• The initiative is the latest in the brand’s ongoing “Kickoff With Crown Royal” campaign, which is now part of Diageo's activities supporting its NFL sponsorship. This season, the brand has committed to donating $1 million to hospitality workers and the military.
• The 2022 season marks Diageo’s second as the NFL’s first official spirit sponsor. During the season, fans will be able to hear couriers’ game day stories on crownroyal.com and the brand’s Instagram channel.

Dive Insight:

Prior to its parent Diageo becoming an official NFL sponsor, Crown Royal already had a strong relationship with the league. In 2017, it became the first spirits brand to advertise during a televised NFL game. After becoming an official sponsor, it has only become more involved by launching programs such as “The Crown Royal Water Break,” which encourages drinking in moderation. While some brands marketing around the NFL are switching up their approaches this year, Crown Royal is sticking with a strategy of supporting service industry workers.

Crown Royal is looking to reward delivery drivers this NFL season. Between Sept. 11, 2022 and January 8, 2023, Crown Royal and Uber Eats are matching tips up to $5 on orders delivered between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. ET in Dallas, New Orleans, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, on NFL Sundays. The initiative is being promoted by a spot featuring Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed, which shows him surprising lucky delivery drivers with tickets to their favorite team’s regular season opener.

The spirit brand’s NFL advertising campaign has largely been focused around giving back to the hospitality industry. In 2021, the brand donated $50,000 to the Southern Smoke Foundation, which supports those in the service industry financially. This year’s initiative closely follows that one, but includes an additional partnership with Uber Eats.

Despite becoming an official sponsor in 2021, Diageo’s sponsorship kicks into high gear starts this season. Crown Royal is one of the conglomerate’s “spotlight” brands for the sponsorship, which also include Smirnoff Vodka and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. The focus on spirits comes as consumers begin to look beyond beer for alcohol options. Recently, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the official beer and hard seltzer sponsor of the NFL, announced it would end its alcoholic beverage advertising exclusivity during the Super Bowl, which it held for over three decades.