Finish brings football rivalries to the kitchen with Team Whistle

Dive Brief:

Dishwasher detergent brand Finish is encouraging football fans to rally behind their favorite game day foods with the launch of the Finish Dish League, according to a press release.
The Finish Dish League allows consumers to vote online for their favorite popular dishes from various football cities, like Philadelphia Cheesesteaks or Detroit Pizzas, for the chance to win a prize. Participants can vote now through Feb. 25.
The effort also includes a collaboration with sports media and entertainment company Team Whistle for two culinary face-off episodes of “Home Team.” The episodes will feature retired Detroit Lions player Calvin Johnson and current player Jahmyr Gibbs. The content will be shared on Team Whistle’s YouTube and social channels along with additional social content.

Dive Insight:

Reckitt brand Finish is encouraging football fans to take their game-day rivalries from the TV to the kitchen to help decide America’s greatest game day dish. The Finish Dish League arrives as anticipation builds for Super Bowl LVIII, which is scheduled for Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

Billed as the “ultimate food face off,” the Finish Dish League spotlights the brand’s Ultimate Dishwashing Detergent to help consumers clean up after enjoying their favorite foods. Now through Feb. 25, consumers can vote for a variety of popular dishes from football cities, including Buffalo wings (Buffalo), gumbo (New Orleans) or spicy dumplings (San Francisco). In total, eight first-prize winners will receive a Whirlpool dishwasher, and one grand-prize winner will receive $10,000.

Rounding out the effort is a collaboration between Finish and Team Whistle, a DAZN Group company, for culinary focused episodes of its football-centered series “Home Team,” beginning Jan. 22. Two episodes will feature Johnson and Gibbs. In the episodes, friendly competition will help determine who will be the Ultimate Foodie Champion, per Team Whistle details shared exclusively with Marketing Dive.

Team Whistle’s “Home Team” brings together football players and their “at-home or on-the-field teammates” for lighthearted content, like Q&As, designed to help football fans get to know players on a deeper level, per press details from Team Whistle.

The “Home Team” episodes will also include messaging that promotes the Finish Ultimate detergent and encourages consumers to take part in the brand’s Dish League sweepstakes. Additional supporting assets will be shared on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts. The content includes “Game Day Eats,” where athletes list their top five favorite snacks specific to their cities and note how they use Finish to clean up, and “Blindfold Challenge,” where hosts must showcase their local pride while blindfolded. For example, talent from Detroit will compete to make a Detroit-style pizza, with the loser tasked with using Finish Ultimate to clean the dishes.

The tie-up with Team Whistle and Finish sees the dishwasher detergent brand placing a heavy focus on digital content, a move that could help it shore up a stronger connection with key audiences like Gen Z.

“We’re excited to join forces with Whistle's ‘Home Team’ series – partnering with influential athletes to show how teammates can embrace the competitive side of game day cooking, and have a fool-proof plan for cleaning their dirty dishes afterward,” said Tarik Bayar, vice president of U.S. marketing for Finish at Reckitt, in press details Team Whistle shared with Marketing Dive.

Other brands have similarly sought a collaboration with Team Whistle recently as they attempt to tap into football hype. State Farm teamed with the sports media company for three “Home Team” episodes in December, while DirecTV Stream last August teamed with Team Whistle for a social media takeover that promoted the satellite provider’s value at the start of the college and professional football seasons.