Nabisco sponsors Roush team, launches new marketing campaign

BOSTON Kraft’s Nabisco brand is extending its involvement in the racing industry to include a sponsorship with Roush Fenway Racing.

Kraft’s Ritz cracker has been named the “official cracker of NASCAR” and will be sponsoring the “Race to win a Ride” sweepstakes promotion, starting this month and running through September. Five winners have a chance to win a trip to the Sprint Cup Series Championship Weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, and one of the five will also win a 2009 Ford racing-equipped Mustang V6 sports car.

Roush Fenway racing is a division of New England Sports Ventures. The sweepstakes are tied to Ford Racing Technology; Roush is using Ford’s Fusion car for its NASCAR program.

The marketing campaign for Ritz will include print, TV, radio and Internet ads, and will also be involve themes in their product packaging and in-store displays. Driver Matt Kenseth will have the Ritz logo on his car while racing the Daytona 500, and specially marked packages of Ritz will include cut-outs of the Ritz NASCAR car on its back panels.

Another goal for this national campaign for Ritz is to simply get people interested in the sport of racing in New England. According to published reports, the NESV wants to attract Red Sox fans to their races using a wide range of promotions and advertising, and through their favorite baseball team. This year, NESV’s Fenway Sports group will market NASCAR in Fenway Park, by putting a Red Sox car on the park during major events. According to Mark Lev, executive vice president of Fenway Sports Group, “We have had Roush Fenway Racing signage as part of a wide range of marketing activity going on to familiarize New Englanders, and Sox fans, with NASCAR and the brand.”

For more information, or to see the ads that are being used in this year’s NASCAR campaign please visit Kraftfoods.com and Fordracing.com.