http://www.instoremarketer.org/articles/details.php?id=6443

Retailers and brands have revved up their engines for the start of auto racing season, which kicked off with NASCAR's Daytona 500 race on Feb. 18 in Daytona Beach, FL.

General Mills' "Fuel Up!" campaign drives to supermarket bakeries with counter cards and shelf wobblers featuring NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker race car. Promotions include coupons for baked goods and an instant-win game dangling $25 gas cards.

The CPG is also offering $10 gas rebates with the purchase of 10 packaged-goods products. Participating brands include Betty Crocker, Cheerios, Green Giant, Nature Valley, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Pop Secret, Totino's and Yoplait. Supporting floorstands and booklets direct shoppers to download an online rebate form for the promotion, which began Jan. 22 and runs through March 11.

Among retailer support, Winn-Dixie offered $10 gift cards by mail with the purchase of 10 Mills products Feb. 7-13, distributing checkout coupons to provide details. Supervalu's Albertsons chains host a "Fuel Up Your Family" promotion Feb. 15-21 offering instant $5 savings with the purchase of 10 Mills items. ShopRite is hosting a "Race into Savings" event that offers a $10 next-receipt coupon with purchase of 10 Mills products Feb. 18-24; a feature in the chain's Feb. 18 circular directs shoppers to cheeriosracing.com for info about the Fuel Up! promo. Pathmark is also hosting a "Race into Savings" event, offering a $5 coupon with $15 in Mills products.

Also, General Mills brands are participating in Safeway's "Savings Rally," which offers $10 checkout coupons with the purchase of 10 participating products. (The offer includes gasoline at stores equipped with fuel stations.) Spanning more than 1,000 items from such CPGs as Mills, Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Unilever and Chiquita, the promotion runs Feb. 14-28.

Elsewhere, Kraft Foods' Nabisco is hosting a "Championship Weekend Getaway" sweeps awarding a vacation for four to a 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Participants register online for the promotion, which began Feb. 5 and runs through Oct. 1. In stores, floorstands urge shoppers to "Get on Track with Nabisco Snacks" and feature Nabisco-sponsored drivers Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray. Brands include Fig Newton, Nilla Wafers, Oreo, Ritz, Chicken in a Biskit and Easy Cheese.

Concurrently, Nabisco's Oreo is hosting a "Double Stuf Race" sweeps, which awards five finalists with trips to the Homestead-Miami Speedway to compete for $10,000 (by "racing" to properly eat Double Stuf cookies). The promotion began Feb. 5 and runs through Sept. 25.

Other current brand activity includes:

Unilever's Klondike hosts a "Win a Trip to the Daytona 500" sweeps, awarding a week-long trip for four to the 2008 race. Secondary prizes include Klondike leather jackets (50) and Klondike Kasey Kahne Signature Flags (500). Participants enter UPCs online to register for the promotion, which began Jan. 1 and ends Oct. 31.
 
Hershey Foods' Reese's hosts two sweeps, one dangling NASCAR memorabilia and the other a trip to a future NASCAR race. (See Related Articles.)
 
Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol revives a sweeps awarding a trip to the Pepsi 500. (See "FSI Report: Feb. 11 ..." in Related Articles.)
 
Procter & Gamble leverages its NASCAR sponsorships for an umbrella campaign and brand-specific promotions for Gillette and Prilosec OTC. (See "P&G's brandSaver..." in Related Articles.)
Among other retailer activity:
Ahold USA's Giant Carlisle division held a "Race in for Savings" promotion Feb. 11-17 awarding $20 savings certificate to 2,000 shoppers who purchased three participating items. Secondary prizes included $10 coupons (3,000) and $5 coupons (5,000); all shoppers received $1 coupons. Participating brands included General Mills' Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Progresso, Totino's and Yoplait; Kraft Foods' Capri Sun, Jell-O, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer and Planters; Kellogg Co. cereals and Mars Inc.'s Pedigree.
 
Meijer renewed its "Fast Track to Savings" campaign, which leverages its sponsorship of NASCAR's Meijer 300, for a sweeps awarding a VIP weekend for four to the June 2007 race at Kentucky Speedway. Participants register at upfront entry barrels for the sweeps, which runs Feb. 11-20.