King's Hawaiian, a renowned bread company, made significant waves in the NASCAR world in 2022. It became a sponsor of RFK Racing and extended the deal for the subsequent 2023 and 2024 campaigns. This move was driven by the company achieving a satisfactory return on its investment.

Activations and Partnerships

During its tenure as an RFK Racing sponsor, King's Hawaiian engaged in various on-track activities. It included at-track sampling and giveaways, such as promoting its new sweet pretzel bite products earlier this year. Additionally, it formed partnerships with movie studios to co-advertise with popular films like Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy" and Universal Pictures' "Despicable Me". These initiatives helped increase its brand visibility and reach among NASCAR fans.

Sponsorship with RFK Racing

King's Hawaiian typically appeared on RFK Racing's No. 6 Ford, driven by team co-owner Brad Keselowski. The company's presence on the race car brought significant attention and exposure. However, a major development in 2023 was RFK's landing of a new sponsorship with grocery conglomerate The Kroger Co. This new partnership set the stage for a potential brand conflict with one of RFK's existing sponsors.

Kroger employs a vendor model in NASCAR, collaborating with dozens of brands that sell products in its stores. One of these brands is Bimbo Bakeries USA, which includes well-known names like Thomas' English muffins and Sara Lee bread. Bimbo was among the over 12 brands that switched from JTG Daugherty Racing to RFK next year, creating a competitive landscape within the NASCAR sponsorship arena.

Renewal Talks and Future Plans

While the details of any renewal talks between RFK and King's Hawaiian remained unclear, sources indicated that the company was expected to leave RFK after this year. King's Hawaiian had held discussions with other NASCAR teams about potentially joining them in 2025. Although the identities of those teams were not confirmed at press time, some top teams like Joe Gibbs Racing had available inventory. If no suitable deal was found, King's Hawaiian could also choose to exit NASCAR altogether.

The size of King's Hawaiian's NASCAR investment was not disclosed. However, according to NASCAR stat tracking site Jayski, the company had nine primaries with RFK this past season. This suggests that its spending was in the low seven figures. RFK Racing declined to comment on the situation, and King's Hawaiian CMO Raouf Moussa did not respond to a request for comment.

King's Hawaiian was founded in Hawaii in 1950 and is now headquartered in California. It is owned by Irresistible Foods Group, which also owns fellow NASCAR industry sponsor Grillo's Pickles. This diverse portfolio of sponsorships showcases the company's commitment to the NASCAR community and its efforts to expand its brand presence.