Yesterday morning, while watching the Mike & Mike Show on ESPN, I saw an interesting event that G2 was hosting in collaboration with the Super Bowl.  It was an actual (punny)bowling event with who I assume must be football stars.  I was flipping channels and barely paying attention, but I heard one of the Mikes say that for every visitor to www.drinkG2.com, a $1 donation would be made to the United Way.

Honestly, I had no idea what G2 was, but was multitasking and it only took a second for me to hit the site so, in a Pavlovian response, I instantly typed in the address.  Not only did $1 get donated to United Way (there is $100k max, it appears), but in just a few moments, I learned that G2 is the “light” version of Gatorade with only 25 calories.  Shockingly enough, that’s a value proposition that interests me and I just might buy the product.

So, for $1 that went to a good cause anyway, Gatorade bought my awareness and I am now officially “likely” to try.  Pretty good deal.  This has been used in other campaigns and, while it is a blatant eyeball purchase, it works and doesn’t create waste.  This is a great opportunity for charities & brands to partner in a mutually beneficial way and charities should not be afraid to make the first move.  Think about the brands that your likely donors or activisits would appreciate, and approach them!