Country time

Country Time Lemonade Enlists Drew Brees, Michael Waltrip For New Campaign

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer

Published May 18, 2012

Kraft Foods’ brand Country Time -- which is launching its first new flavor in 14 years -- this week launched a social and digital marketing campaign featuring Saints QB Drew Brees, NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip and actress Kristin Chenoweth. The brand created a tea and lemonade drink, “Country Time Half Lemonade & Half Iced Tea,” and the three endorsers are featured in a fictional campaign to have their name replace Arnold Palmer’s as the “unofficial nickname” of the drink. Brees, Waltrip and Chenoweth will enlist their Twitter followers and Facebook fans to submit names for the new drink. Followers and fans will have a chance to go a Country Time website or Facebook page where they can create, submit and share a name idea for the lemonade and tea drink. Country Time execs are considering featuring the winning name on “Half Lemonade & Half Iced Tea” packaging for a limited time. It’s the first time the Country Time brand has done a campaign where 100% of its spend is devoted to social media. There will be five videos released online during the summer and a victory speech video will be posted at the end of the campaign on Sept. 3. Country Time Brand Manager Brett Hartmann said, “We wanted something a little creative. We’re the number one selling lemonade in the U.S., and we wanted to partner with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.” Hartmann said the brand signed Brees and Waltrip because they have strong social media followings and represent a cross-section of sports fans. Waltrip actually drove a Country Time sponsored car in NASCAR's top series from '88-90. The campaign will run throughout the summer and was developed by Foxrock Partners, which former NBA exec Peter Farnsworth launched last year. "Country Time Half Lemonade & Half Iced Tea" canisters are available in grocery stores nationwide.