Cooked meats brand Fire & Smoke has partnered with NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of a new marketing campaign.
The Kerry Foods-owned cooked meat brand specialises in flavour from the US Deep South and has now become the official UK meat partner of the Florida-based Jacksonville Jaguars and its Jaguars Se7ens Cup, a UK ‘flag football’ tournament that plays a non-contact version of mainstream American football.
On-pack promotions will offer the chance to win a trip to Florida for a VIP experience at a Jaguars game and behind the scenes stadium tour.
Fire & Smoke will also have a year-round presence across the Jaguars’ social media channels, offering a range of prizes and experiences for consumers.
It comes amid booming popularity of American football in the UK - some 13 million Brits now consider themselves fans following the success of the NFL International Series [NFL UK, 2017].
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The Fire & Smoke brand has also updated its packaging to feature a ‘brought to you by Denny’ call-out, highlighting its links to Kerry Foods’ Denny Ham brand, which is sold in Northern Ireland and the ROI.
“We’re incredibly excited to be announcing this partnership and with the increasing popularity of American football in the UK we’re sure this will excite and delight our consumers,” said senior brand manager for Kerry’s meat portfolio Anna Moore.
The partnership has apparently gained the approval of Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, who has such a passion for cooked ham it has led to his being nicknamed ‘Marrone Bologna’.
The team’s senior VP for international development Hussain Naqi added: “We feel proud and privileged to be partnering with a brand that shares our southern US values. We are excited to bring that flavour to life through American football for millions of consumers around the UK and continue to grow our transatlantic efforts.”
Last week The Grocer reported some of Kerry’s Fire & Smoke products were set to move to its Fridge Raiders brand in a revamp of its protein snacking portfolio.
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