Newcastle Takes a Shot With College Hoops Promo

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- In celebration of the 2014 college basketball tournament season, Newcastle Brown Ale will launch a retail and on-premise program designed to celebrate the underdog.

From March 1 through the end of April, Newcastle’s “Unofficial Beer of the Underdog” campaign will use point-of-sale elements to direct consumers to tweet their thoughts on tournament play using the #UnofficialUnderdog hashtag for a chance to win prizes. At the end of each game, winners will be randomly selected and sent a direct message from Newcastle with instructions for redeeming their prizes. Newcastle will also reward participants with mail-in-rebate coupons.

“Newcastle drinkers are big fans of college basketball,” said Brett Steen, brand manager for Newcastle Brown Ale. “In fact, 31 percent of our drinkers watch championship basketball and 34 percent of these loyal Newcastle fans watch tournament play at their favorite bar – 11 percent more than drinkers of other import brands.”

The “Unofficial Beer of the Underdog” program will offer retailers and on-premise accounts a timely and fun way to further engage tournament enthusiasts while driving incremental sales and profits of fan-favorite Newcastle Brown Ale, according to Steen.

Newcastle Brown Ale is a brand of Heineken USA, a subsidiary of Heineken International BV that imports a variety of European brands into the United States, including Heineken Lager, Heineken Light, Amstel Light and Strongbow cider.