As anticipation builds for the 2016 DAYTONA 500® on February 21, NASCAR® and Twitter are collaborating to enhance the #DAYTONA500 conversation with fun, original content and unique activations around racing’s biggest event.
Plans to promote DAYTONA 500 weekend include a new Twitter emoji, Vine and Periscope content from Daytona International Speedway and the first-ever Hashtag 500, a Twitter race among fans that will reward winners with memorabilia from Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race (1 p.m. ET on FOX).
“We’ve seen tremendous growth on Twitter and this collaboration only makes it easier for fans to engage and follow the DAYTONA 500 conversation,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president, marketing and industry services. “This level of activation and support from Twitter is truly unprecedented, and the big winners are the NASCAR fans.”
To help bring DAYTONA 500 tweets to life during race week, Twitter and NASCAR have created a special, race-themed Twitter emoji. Each time fans Tweet with the hashtag #DAYTONA500, the colorful, waving flags featured in the DAYTONA 500 logo will appear in the Tweet.
“NASCAR has always understood the power of connecting with their fans on Vine, Periscope and Twitter,” said Danny Keens, director of North American sports partnerships, Twitter. “We are thrilled to take our relationship to the next level with one of the most innovative brands in the world ahead of #DAYTONA500.”
Activation on Twitter around “The Great American Race®” will also include the following:
- Vine & Periscope: @NASCAR will create Vines and live video via Periscope to give fans an inside look at the DAYTONA 500 experience, including the iconic, newly-reimagined motorsports stadium.
- Twitter Moments: @NASCAR will curate several moments capturing the spirit and excitement of the DAYTONA 500 festivities.
- Celebrities: Each year the DAYTONA 500 attracts some of sports and entertainment’s biggest names to Daytona Beach. @NASCAR will share content around appearances from John Cena, Florida Georgia Line and Ken Griffey Jr., who will wave the green flag to start Sunday’s race.
- Hashtag 500: The 500th person to tweet a custom hashtag on race day – unveiled by @NASCAR and @FOXtv via the race broadcast – in conjunction with #DAYTONA500 will win one of 10 pieces of memorabilia from the DAYTONA 500. For more information, visit NASCAR.com/hashtag500.
- Twitter Mirror: NASCAR race teams will use Twitter Mirror to bring behind-the-scenes content to life on their Twitter feeds all week long and during the DAYTONA 500.
- Infield Branding: The Twitter Bird logo, as well as @NASCAR and #DAYTONA500, will be featured as infield stencils inside Daytona International Speedway. There will also be a #DAYTONA500 structure inside fan central to remind fans how to join the conversation on Twitter.
The best and fastest way to join the NASCAR conversation and connect directly with the teams, drivers and fans during DAYTONA 500 weekend is to tweet with, and search for, #DAYTONA500.
NASCAR has more than 2.3 million followers on Twitter and increased follower engagement by 87 percent during the 2015 race season.
NASCAR PR
