Nicorette Shifts NASCAR Presence into High Gear
Nicorette is ramping up its NASCAR sponsorship with track-site smoking cessation seminars for pro racing fans.
The company last Saturday conducted at the Atlanta Motor Speedway its first public seminar featuring a smoking cessation expert at Sprint Nextel’s exhibit during the Pep Boys 500 race. It’s an extension of the “Quit Crew” program Nicorette established more than two years ago for NASCAR pit crews and officials.
Over the three years of its sponsorship of star NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and title sponsor of the Atlanta 300, Nicorette has had a 40 x 60 trailer exhibit with trained smoking cessation counselors offering advice to 3,000 or 4,000 potential ex-smokers at each race.
It estimates it has counseled 235,000 people to date, according to Steve Kapur, senior brand manager for GlaxoSmithKline. That kind of outreach, coupled with accompanying brand exposure, were objectives when it began with NASCAR.
Growth of the sport under RJR and the Winston cigarette brand had fostered a heavy smoking culture. When Sprint Nextel supplanted Winston as NASCAR racing series sponsor, GSK made its move with Nicorette.
“It made sense to fish where the fish were,” said Kapur. “The exciting thing for me is we’re helping larger numbers of people quit.”
Along with seeing the trailer, NASCAR fans see Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Chevy adorning a green Nicorette paint scheme six times each season. (Last Sunday the car was painted in reddish brown to promote Nicorette’s latest flavor, cinnamon.)
GSK was aware of NASCAR fans’ renowned brand loyalty, and its Nicorette promotion has produced favorable impressions. A recent consumer study by Ipsos-Insight indicates NASCAR fans who are smokers have a “strong interest” in trying Nicorette brands.
“The vast majority of smokers want to quit smoking,” said Bob Howards, CEO of Lighthouse Marketing, which designed the Nicorette campaign. “It’s a matter of these brands finding ways to reach these people.”
Lighthouse creates the annual theme; this year it’s “Win the Battle,” intended to double as a rallying cry for Jeff Gordon and nicotine addicts. Agency staffers trained as smoking cessation counselors also work at the Nicorette trailer exhibit, dispensing advice and product coupons.
GSK is planning six smoking cessation seminars at races where Gordon’s car is Nicorette green next season. It’s committed to carrying on the Nicorette campaign among NASCAR devotees for at least three more years.
