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What the hell is an Unlockzie? Modelo drops a new beer cooler to inspire

So you’re probably wondering…What the hell is an Unlockzie?

Modelo Especial is a Mexican beer that has been around for almost 100 years.  In 2013, it began to make more of a blip on the radar as Constellation Brands acquired the rights to import and market. 

In 2018, Modelo began to make some power moves.  During this year, it replaced Bud Light as the official beer of the UFC and established itself as the best-selling import in America.  Their ascent continues to see a bullish trend as they recently became the official beer sponsor of the College Football Playoffs.  

Modelo is a pilsner-style lager that has low-key been a quality tasting beer for years, but since they really started to push marketing with their “fighting spirit” campaign, they have experienced rapid growth and is now the second most sold beer.

Modelo has already partnered with the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago White Sox, Golden State Warriors, and the LA Galaxy.  With their most recent deal replacing Dos Equis as the official sponsor of the College Football Playoffs, they are expanding their reach into the college crowd.  

The growth has been going so well with reaching new consumers that Modelo tripled the size of their investment in advertising from $300,000 last year to $925,000 this year. 

The “Fighting Spirit” campaign has been effective to say the least, and quickly accelerated them right past up-and-coming, and elevated them to a top dog. Greg Gallagher, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Modelo, had this to say:

“Championing the Fighting Spirit is at the center of everything we do at Modelo. Sports, in particular, is a space where this mantra comes to life given the presence of the Fighting Spirit on the field, among teams, players and the passion of college football fans. Joining the roster as Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff, Modelo is capitalizing on the opportunity to build our football fanbase and create a lasting connection with drinkers who bring their own unique Fighting Spirit to each and every game day on a national level.”

They are killing the game right now and they launched the first College Football activation Unlockzie, which is a play on a beer koozie.  This is what Greg Gallagher had to say about their new integration.

As Modelo worked on developing the technology behind the Unlockzie, it was a natural fit to introduce the promotion at the same time we announced our partnership with the College Football Playoffs. The idea was to take something ordinary that football fans already use, like a cooler to keep their beer cold, and add technology to create a unique experience that will last all season long. For us, the Unlockzie is a way to tap into the excitement of fans this season.”


The Modelo Unlockzie is here

When Modelo drinkers use their mobile device to scan their beverage inside of the Unlockzie beer can cooler, it enables their eligibility to win prizes – one of which includes a trip to the national championship game. 

The fighting spirit has propelled a low-key, under-the-radar beer to a high-key powerhouse.  

Step-by-step on how the Unlockzie beer can cooler works:

  • Simply slide a 12 oz. can of Modelo Especial into the Unlockzie and line up the Modelo seal on the can with the opening. 
  • Visit ModeloUnlockzie.com and scan the completed Unlockzie image.  
  •  The Unlockzie can be scanned with a Modelo can every week during the college football regular season for a chance to win. 

Click here to get yours today. Drink responsibly.

Don’t get too saucy, Natty Light is sparking $10M to help pay student loans

College is awesome, graduating college is even better but having to pay back student loans sucks. Life is supposed to get easier after spending serious cheddar on education not more stressful.

So, to take the pressure off, Natty Light will be dishing out some serious dough over the next decade – $10 million to be exact. In an effort to combat the serious issue of graduates with no guap  Natural Light is bringing back their College Debt Relief Program in 2019.

Investing in your education shouldn’t halt you from chasing your dreams. It should allow you to progress. Still, that is not the case. In 2018, Student Loan Hero researched and found that the average student loan debt for Class of 2017 graduates was $39,400, up six percent from the previous year.

In addition to the six percent raise, Americans owe over $1.48 trillion in student loan debt, spread out among about 44 million borrowers. That’s about $620 billion more than the total U.S. credit card debt.

Want to know another fun fact? The average monthly student loan payment is at $351 for borrowers between the ages of 20 and 30. That’s a trash bill for a younging to have to pay monthly, especially if you’re trying to get out of your parent’s basement and start your life.

This is the reason why Natty Light has decided to come back with an even stronger commitment to the students carrying the burden of college loans. To commence the decade of giving back, this year 70 individuals will have a chance for a slice of the $1,000,000 pot. Peep how to enter HERE.

Daniel Blake, Senior Director of Value Brands, Anheuser-Busch couldn’t be more hype about the pledge. He said,

“Last year, the College Debt Relief Program had a major impact on the Natty community, both financially and emotionally. But, student debt in America continues to rise, so we’re coming back with an even stronger commitment that will make an impact well beyond 2019. We’re making a pledge to give back $10,000,000 over the next decade to help out even more deserving individuals and shine a brighter light on the issue of college debt.”

Pushing their initiative even further Natural Light will also be airing a 60-second Super Bowl spot in five cities with the some of the highest student loan debt in America. Keep an eye out for the winners of last year’s College Debt Relief Program. Natural Light will be highlighting their video submissions and inspiration for going to college.

On Super Bowl Sunday, expect more than just a commercial from the progressive beer brand. In partnership with Cash App, Natural Light will be paying out $53,000 to 151 lucky fans via the mobile money transfer platform. Do the math, that’s $351 equaling the average monthly student loan payment.

Starting on Jan. 22 and ending on Feb. 3, to have your next college loan payment covered by Natty Light, anyone over the age of 21 can share their SB party plans on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.  For a shot at the $351, fans only need to add #NattySB, #Sweepstakes and “$Cashtag” to their post to qualify. Peep the rules here.

Blake spoke on teaming up with Cash App for Superbowl 53 to deliver instant debt relief to college students and graduates in need of assistance. He said,

“Teaming up with Cash App is the ideal way to deliver instant debt relief to even more of our fans while also having a little bit of fun along the way. It’s our way to give back even more and drum up some extra excitement for our fans on game day.”

May the sauce be with you.