There will be much to remember from this year’s Daytona 500, but from a brand marketing perspective, the most indelible is unquestionably the use of Tide detergent to help clean up the jet fuel that poured onto the track after Juan Pablo Montoya’s Target car careened into a jet dryer during a caution igniting an explosion and causing a several hour red flag race delay.
Proctor & Gamble’s Tide brand, of course, was one of the sponsors that helped open the floodgates of NASCAR sponsorship beyond automotive-endemic sponsors, beer and tobacco. The Tide Ride holds a place in NASCAR marketing lore, helping carry Darrell Waltrip and Ricky Rudd to tremendously successful careers.