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From Friday Night Lights<\/em> to All American<\/em>, dramas and sitcoms about football have permeated TV networks for decades. In recent years, marketers and brands have looked to get in on the fictional football content game, too.<\/p>\n This year, both Applebee\u2019s and Bud Light introduced football-centric original content that doubled as marketing campaigns. Other brands are a few seasons in: Dr Pepper has been running its satirical college football drama, Fansville<\/em>, since 2018.<\/p>\n Given how competitive and expensive sports sponsorships can be, particularly when it comes to football, original content can serve as a way to help brands stand out to fans and stretch sponsorship dollars even further, execs told Marketing Brew.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a chance to bring out something further and something separate [than traditional ads] only broadens the connection between what we\u2019re doing with the NFL as a partner versus just a standard television ad and use of marks,\u201d Applebee\u2019s CMO Joel Yashinsky said. \u201cI think we\u2019ve been able to flush out a bigger opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n The idea for Pre-Seasoning \u2013 An Applebee\u2019s Training Camp <\/em>was born after Yashinsky\u2019s team looked for another way to \u201celevate our partnership with the NFL\u201d beyond ads, he told Marketing Brew. The miniseries is meant to be \u201ca little bit more sticky, a little bit more fun, a little bit longer in the approach\u201d than the usual marketing campaign, he said, and is also aimed at conveying the idea that Applebee\u2019s goes well with football.<\/p>\n To help get that message across, Applebee\u2019s incorporated several NFL stars into Pre-Seasoning<\/em>, including San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.<\/p>\nHolding
hands<\/del> fans<\/h2>\n