RITZ TOASTED CHIPS
The Champion of Everything but the Game
JUMP TO
PROJECT TYPE
4 Day Sprint
PROGRAMS & TOOLS
Figma
Photoshop
Blender
MY ROLE
Experience Strategist
3D Designer
He Shoots. He scores!
Or wait... Is that a soccer term? I don't understand basketball, but everyone else at the party seems excited. I'm really just here for the food.
The Ask
Get Ritz Toasted Chips to make headlines for March Madness in 2023.
Opportunity
Theres a huge white space that emerges during March Madness whom we can target.
Solution
Position Ritz toasted chips as the champion of everything but the game to support the non-fans during March madness.
Background
March madness is such a huge event. Every year, around 10 million people tune in to watch the finals live, whether it's on tv or through a streaming service.
What’s more fun than watching a hype game? Watching a hype game with others. People celebrate march madness through watch parties and gatherings so basketball fans can share the excitement.
But what about the rest of the room?
69%
of March Madness viewers consider themselves not interested or only slightly interested in basketball.
What about the people who show up to the party solely because they’re the partners, friends, family, etc. of the sports fans. Or what about the people who only care about the March Madness for the brackets or the fact that their school is playing.
For them, March Madness is more about the gatherings and parties rather than the games themselves.
Realization
These “non-fans” represent a huge white space.
With so much focus put on the fans and super-fans during March Madness, we tend to forget about the temporary fans.
Opportunity
Ritz Toasted Chips, the Champion of Everything But the Game.
Ritz values inclusivity above all else. Let’s celebrate everyone who shows up for the game, no matter what their commitment level is to basketball, and ensure that everyone has a good time.
Solution
Introducing the Ritz Toasted Chips Party Pack- delivering all you need for everything but the game.
What's Inside
We're celebrating the celebration, and giving the temporary fans an opportunity to get as excited as the other basketball fans.
The Party Pack includes the snacks, the merch, and a live game translator so everyone can understand the hype.
The Snacks
Who doesn’t love a good snack during the big game. During the Month of March, Ritz Toasted Chips will temporarily change their flavor names, allowing everyone at the party to put a taste to some universal game day vibes.
College Basketball Superstitions sour cream & Onion
I Only Care About my Bracket Winning Cheddar
I’m Just Here for the Food Original
The Hype Gets Me Going Multigrain
The Vibes Veggie
The Merch
Finally, your mood on the inside can match your vibe on the outside. We're shouting the things that non-fans feel guilty for thinking. With Chip Drip, you can wear slogans that represent different moods at sports gatherings. With sports-neutral language, you can continue to rock your Chip Drip, no matter what sport's game is on the TV. Watch, or don't watch, with pride.
Is chilling on the couch in a blanket more your style? We have the drip for that too.
I’m just here for the food
Go whatever team my partner likes
Go team
Go sports
Something something bracket
Get toasty
The Translator
Have you ever wanted to join the hype of basketball finals, but just don’t know how? Chip Bud gives you a live translation of what’s going on during the game, so you can understand when to get hyped, and why.
Chip Bud connects to a special microsite hosting live streams of the Final Four Games.
When connected, you can get explanations of plays, facts about the game, and cues for when to cheer based on what team you’re rooting for.
Reflection
We have the opportunity here to really develop a brand voice for the ChipBud to give it some more personality. I view ChipBud as that extroverted friend who has taken you under their wing, cracking jokes and getting rowdy, but also making sure that you feel comfortable and included as well. This would be solidifying the voice behind the scenes and then developing a "Chip" character.
This concept could expand beyond just basketball as well. We could translate this to other big events: Super Bowl, World Cup, IIHF, and more.
I was given the opportunity here to develop and solidify the strategy with a super quick turnaround. My group was an all creative team, which gave me the opportunity to really push the strategy from an executional lens, having my hands on multiple steps along the way. I wanted to focus exclusively on the forgotten user, partially because that's how my teammates and I identified. I assumed we would be put at a disadvantage because of our limited sports knowledge, but we were able to turn it around and use it as a strength.