Statewide campaign elevates Unleaded 88 as the ‘Better Fuel’ at the pump
Entering 2021, the desire for higher blends of ethanol-blended fuels remains evident. Nearly 75 million gallons of E15, known widely as Unleaded 88, were pumped in 2020—a 20-percent increase over sales just two years prior. To build on the momentum, The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) will be putting Unleaded 88 front and center through the Better Fuel Initiative. It will continue to raise awareness of the higher-octane option at the pump and share why it is the “Better Fuel” choice for all Minnesotans.
The latest in the Better Fuel Initiative, the campaign will aim is to make “Better Fuel” a household phrase in 2021 using an innovative statewide advertising campaign, which launched last week and will continue through the fall.
The campaign’s message to consumers is simple: Unleaded 88 is better for your air, engine and wallet.
MCGA worked with a Twin Cities advertising agency to produce new TV commercials that share the many benefits of Unleaded 88. The spots use some of Minnesota’s most beloved attractions as the backdrop – from the Minneapolis skyline to Bemidji’s Babe the Blue Ox. The commercials will air on CBS and ABC networks through the fall. View the first ad in the campaign below.
Fans of radio station KFAN will recognize the voice on each commercial as the host of the “Power Trip Morning Show,” Chris Hawkey. In addition to hosting one of the most popular sports radio shows in the country, Hawkey is the lead singer of the Chris Hawkey Band, and a regular contributor to the Vikings Entertainment Network. Hawkey is a longtime supporter and customer of ethanol-blended fuels.
I am excited to be part of the Better Fuel campaign because I believe in the product. It is better for the environment, better for your car, and it helps our outstate economy—Everybody benefits,” said Hawkey.
Through the Better Fuel campaign, Hawkey will be heard across the metro and Greater Minnesota on iHeart Radio Stations, including KFAN. Commercials asking Minnesotans to pump the Better Fuel will run throughout the day on the radio network.
In addition to radio and television, digital campaigns targeting Minnesotans online launched in February, carrying the same message: It’s time to rethink how we refuel our vehicles. MCGA is also sharing the benefits of ethanol-blended fuels on the sides of trucks that travel throughout the state, serving as mobile billboards. Also new this year, consumers at the pump will see our Unleaded 88 television ads through GSTV, a network of on-screen entertainment found at pumps across the state.
Through their investment in the Minnesota corn check-off, the state’s farmers will bring Unleaded 88 to new levels of awareness and popularity, driving future sales and boosting corn demand at local ethanol plants.
