Subway is enlisting some Hall of Fame names for its new NFL ad campaign.
The Milford, Conn.-based sandwich giant on Tuesday revealed its latest marketing campaign with ads that will run during the current NFL season and feature New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick and Deion Sanders along with current players J.J., T.J. and Derek Watt.
The “Footlong Season” campaign will feature television commercials along with social and digital content that encourages customers to eat Subway sandwiches while tailgating or “homegating.”
This is the first NFL season in which Subway is an official league sponsor. The first ad will feature Belichick helping “a surprised fan” make smart lunch and fashion choices, while the Watt brothers will eat Footlong subs from their hometown shop.
“When Subway reached out, shared the Footlong Season campaign, objectives and the ideas for the commercial, I decided the timing was right to have some fun and enjoy some sandwiches,” Belichick said in a statement.
The campaign could be a vital one for the company and its operators, who’ve struggled to regain marketing relevance after the end of the $5 Footlong and the loss of its longtime “Jared” ads. The chain’s sales have been weak for years and thousands of the chain’s restaurants have closed their doors.
The NFL campaign will introduce a new value offer, “Buy 2 Footlongs, Get 1 Free,” which can be redeemed online, in the store or in the app. The company also promised to debut “new flavor news” that is “inspired by game-day staples” later this year. The company will also provide other contests and special merchandise during the campaign.
The Footlong Season campaign will feature cross-channel integrations during games on various networks, along with social and digital platforms.
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