Miracle Whip has signed a sponsorship deal with the San Diego Splash: the oldest team in San Diego Women’s Basketball Association and winners of multiple gold medals at National Senior Games.
The Splash, a side of women all aged 80 years and older, rose to fame in late June 2017 when they were featured on ESPN in their first ever national sports segment: a slot that attracted more than 12 million views and saw the side capture the hearts of the American public.
The official endorsement, announced on 20 July, spans the 2017-18 basketball season and sees the salad dressing brand support the San Diego Splash’s annual girls basketball camp scholarship program, league fees, official brand gear for warmups, and an serious supply of Miracle Whip itself.
The partnership was promoted with a set of official photos and sponsorship video unveiling the endorsement deal on the Miracle Whip Facebook page.
The synergy behind the sports sponsorship is all about age: Miracle Whip is actually 84 years old this year.
The salad dressing brand first debuted at Chicago’s ‘Century of Progress Exposition’ in 1933 and earlier this year returned to its original “gold standard” recipe inspired by the formula that attendees first tasted at the fair.
Thus the brand is focusing its marketing and partnerships plan on its heritage.
“Our brand purpose is with its heritage, and the best things being passed on,” says Carpenter.
“So just seeing these ladies touching people of all ages lined up with how we think about our brand.”
The Kraft-Heinz owned brand partnerships is the first-ever endorsement deal for the San Diego Splash (and perhaps even for any sports team that plays in their local YMCA).
Let alone one who’s most seasoned senior stateswomen is still getting buckets at 92 years young.
“Miracle Whip is a brand that recognizes that some of the best things have been around for the longest time,” said Matt Carpenter, Director of Marketing for Miracle Whip.
“This spring, we brought back our original gold standard recipe. Then, when we learned about the Splash, we knew that this was our opportunity to celebrate a group of women who are challenging the expectations of just how good 80 years can look. This is a team filled with spirit, originality, and of course, excellent hook shots.”
“I think it’s awesome. I never thought this could happen and it’s beyond my expectations. I just hope it inspires other older people to get out and do something. Anything.” says Splash number 21 Nina Duncan
The longstanding history of Miracle Whip is not lost on the Splash either and several members of the Splash not only like Miracle Whip, but remember the brand from their childhoods when it was a new product.
“I’ve been a Miracle Whip fan since I was 3 years old,” said 86-year-old Splash star Jean Field.
“My grandparents had it in their icebox. My mother had it in her refrigerator. And it’s been in my refrigerator and my kids’ refrigerators for years.”
The San Diego Splash hoop it up with younger teams most Sundays at the Mission Valley YMCA: competing in the non-profit San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Association – which comprises 14 women’s teams age 50 and over and boasts 135 members.
They have been playing at the Mission Valley YMCA since 1993 and the mission of the league is to have fun playing and to give many San Diego County girls the opportunity to receive scholarships for summer basketball camps.
The San Diego Splash and the league itself mostly plays 3-on-3 half court ball.
Carpenter credits espnW (ESPN’s platform dedicated to women’s sports) for bringing the Splash to national attention with a segment it aired in June: one which has racked up 24,000 Facebook shares and about 12 million views.
Carpenter says that he, like many other viewers, were inspired by the footage of the women lacing up their kicks and sinking baskets with competitive vigor.
“They’re challenging consumers to think differently about what people can achieve in this stage of their lives,” he said.
Thus far, Miracle Whip has no firm plans to feature the team in any marketing initiatives, but Carpenter hasn’t ruled out that possibility.
The idea here is that the brand benefits from the simple association with a team whose spirit and attitude is infectious (and a team that is spread across both the digital and social landscapes).
Miracle Whip is now just one of the myriad of brands in the giant Kraft Heinz Company portfolio: the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth-largest in the world with eight $1bn+ brands.
Activative Source:
Few mass marketing consumer brands are brave enough to sponsor a sports team with no famous stars, no major-league presence and no big arena to call home.
But Miracle Whip has been brave and we hope it’s not a cynical headline hunting PR push, but a proper partnership that works for both brand and team!
Splash and the SWBA are all about spreading the love and playing it forward and we are Activative are enthusiastic about spreading the sponsorship story (we are less excited about spreading the salad dressing)
Links:
Miracle Whip
https://www.facebook.com/miraclewhip/
https://twitter.com/MiracleWhip?lang=en
San Diego Splash
https://www.facebook.com/sandiegoswba
