Subway Laces Up Vans Tie-in

Subway restaurants dress up their kids marketing this summer through two promotions with Vans.

Both flights extend Subway’s fledgling “Play Hard, Eat Fresh” kids marketing program, an outgrowth of its general-market tagline “Eat Fresh.”

The first six-week promotion, which starts at the end of May, puts Vans-licensed premiums, such as lanyards and key chains, in Kids’ Pak meals. Kids’ Pak and all value meals also carry game pieces for a sweepstakes awarding a trip for six to the Triple Crown of Surfing competitions in Hawaii in November-December. Vans is title sponsor of the event. Some game pieces carry instant-win messages for food prizes; others have a code that kids enter online to win the grand-prize trip or lesser prizes, including Vans apparel and gear.

A second promotional flight, timed for back-to-school, starts July 10 and carries a different slate of Vans-branded premiums designed to appeal to tweens and younger kids. New York agency b. little & co. handles.

Milford, CT-based Subway approached Vans because its sports sponsorships, including snowboarding and skateboarding, appeal to kids.

“They’ve taken an ownership position in those sports, which has given them an air of authenticity,” says b. little president Kathy Vosters. Plus, Vans’ marketing “takes the cool factor down to younger kids without diluting the authenticity they have with older kids” with properties like the Vans Warped Tour, she said.

Vans’ sponsorships also fit Subway’s healthier-eating positioning. “Subway is uniquely positioned to market to kids because its product is intrinsically good for you,” Vosters said.

Subway broke its first “Play Hard, Eat Fresh” TV spots on NBC, Discovery Kids and Nickelodeon last fall. Three spots feature Subway kid’s spokesperson, surfer Bethany Hamilton, and the 10 “Subway Champions” who won the chain’s Calling All Champions contest last fall. The first spot tied to Discovery Kids’ show Endurance and touted Endurance-branded gear; the second, airing now, offers Discovery Kids “Spring Thing” premiums in Kids’ Pak meals. The third spot shows Hamilton teaching the Champions how to surf and touts “Play the Summer” Discovery Kids premiums.