When Opportunity Knocks...

By now it's old hat for brands to lend their name to sponsor a glitzy new stadium. So Kraft is taking a different approach: It's sponsoring the implosion of the famed Texas Stadium in support of a new version of its Mac & Cheese brand (aptly named Cheddar Explosion).

The sponsorship, arranged with the Irving, Texas city council will cost Kraft $150K (which will go directly to local charities & nonprofits in the area), and will be broadcast online and surely covered by local & national media alike, as the historic stadium is reduced to rubble.

The price of the sponsorship is mere pennies compared to the actual cost of the demolition ($5.8M). But it's another example of marketers reaching out to communities and helping support local projects. Recently KFC has helped fix potholes in five cities, and provided (and branded) fire hydrants & extinguishers in others.

It's the type of strategy that has generated major news coverage and local goodwill beyond the original cost.