Despite the Canadian Football League's presence in Toronto, public intoxication laws mean tailgating parties are not a part of Canadian football culture. So when American football came to town Thursday for a first-ever NFL game held at the Rogers Centre, Budweiser sponsored a free tailgate party—attended by more than 3,200 fans—in a parking lot at Front Street and Blue Jays Way.
"Obviously, if there's football, there's Budweiser, so it was a huge opportunity for us to play our role in this historic NFL event," said Kyle Norrington, national marketing manager for Budweiser in Canada. "And tailgating is something that is bread and butter to NFL football."
When Rogers Media and Insight Sports Limited confirmed the Bills in Toronto NFL series, Budweiser signed on as the official sponsor. Thursday's pre-season game between the Bills—who won the match 24-21—and the Pittsburgh Steelers marked the first of eight NFL games at the Rogers Centre between now and 2012. The first regular-season game in Toronto is scheduled for December 7.
For its interpretation of the tailgate party, Budweiser partnered with Maple Leaf Foods, which served barbecued fare, and brought many of its experiential marketing components to the event. A Budweiser bus and trailer, part of the ad campaign for the Bud Camp contest running this summer, parked in the spacious lot, along with the Budweiser Big Rig, which allowed guests to participate in games like a football toss. Former NFL running back Jerome Bettis revved up crowds on a large stage.
"Unfortunately Toronto doesn't lend itself as well to tailgating as some of the other NFL stadiums, so we're making the best of it," said Norrington. "We're taking what is a very singular, you and your buddies sort of experience and creating a big party, which is a bit of a different take." He added that the party also provided the chance to give away tickets to fans who might not be able to afford to go to the game—the first 100 people at the party got free tickets, and hundreds more were given out at the event.
The tailgate party and NFL game—not to mention the contentious issue of the NFL's place in Canada—drew plenty of coverage from local media, with The Toronto Star reporting that the party and game caused traffic jams and The National Post discovering high-priced tickets being given away on the street after scalpers couldn't sell them. The Globe and Mail took a look at the issues surrounding Toronto tailgate parties in a story that ran last week.
