Behind the Car
SweetLeaf and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
SweetLeaf’s NASCAR sponsorship with Kroger and JTG Daugherty Racing is coming to Pocono, Pennsylvania on July 24, 2022, as the SweetLeaf Camaro takes the track with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. behind the wheel! The SweetLeaf Camaro is a big step for SweetLeaf and its entry into the unique world of sports marketing opportunities.
Being in top physical shape for each NASCAR race is imperative to Stenhouse Jr’s success on the track, and SweetLeaf products makes it easy to choose healthy foods that have no added sugar and taste great. With this sponsorship, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is ready to make some noise during his third season with the No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL 1 JTG Daugherty Racing team.
“My fiancé Madyson and I are health conscious, and this is a perfect brand to represent as we continue to make good choices that benefit our overall well-being."
Stenhouse Jr.’s love of racing started at the age of six with his father -Ricky Stenhouse Sr., who raced sprint cars throughout his childhood. Stenhouse Jr. started kart racing and eventually moved into sprint car racing in 2003, and then into stock car racing five years later. Stenhouse is highly decorated not only in the NASCAR Cup Series, but in the sprint car racing community as well.
Alongside drivers like Mario Andretti, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart, Stenhouse Jr. is one of only eight drivers to have won in NASCAR's premier series and the USAC Silver Crown, National Sprint Car, and National Midget Series.
Behind the SweetLeaf NASCAR
This is SweetLeaf’s second featured race in the NASCAR Cup Series with Kroger and JTG Daugherty Racing, the first in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the previous car was eye-catching, SweetLeaf’s design team wanted to change things up and have the new car’s design do all the talking to NASCAR fans about who SweetLeaf is. SweetLeaf is not just a stevia sweeteners company, it is much more.
When it came to the design of the team wanted the logo as the focus; on the sides of the car as well as the back. Bigger and bolder. The team also wanted to emphasize stevia sweeteners and monk fruit sweeteners and monk fruit because Sweetleaf offers many different products to fit keto, sugar-free, healthy, vegan, gluten free and all lifestyles.
There was much back and forth with the marketing team, sales, and SweetLeaf President and CEO, Michael May, about whether to include the word “Sweeteners” under the logo. But eventually the team landed on SweetLeaf, a brand that the founders (Carol and Jim May who have since passed) have always believed stands on its own.
Ultimately, the decision came down to align with the future pathway of SweetLeaf’s brand and where everyone sees the company going. It was agreed that SweetLeaf is more than a stevia sweetener company. From a design standpoint leaving “sweeteners” out of the car design, allows the logo to be bigger and the sole focus at the race and car. We carefully thought about how our Google placement, excellent reviews, and SEO targeting, helps a customer easily find SweetLeaf and the products when searching for SweetLeaf Camaro in their smartphones.
The back of the car also has a nice, large Sweetleaf logo. You know the SweetLeaf Camaro just passed you on the stretch not just by the roaring motor, but by the big SweetLeaf logo as well!
The design team also wanted to highlight stevia and monk fruit SweetLeaf products on the car. Again, the team did not want to focus on just stevia but wanted to think of SweetLeaf as a whole. Do we try to put stevia and monk fruit products on the car, or put simple and plain Stevia adorning the sides?
The team wanted to do something daring and completely different. But would it work?
The Final Lap
The result was a Sweetleaf Camaro that features the two sweeteners SweetLeaf is known for, monk fruit and stevia. SweetLeaf’s Organic Monk Fruit packets are featured on the side of the car that faces the outside of the track; SweetLeaf’s Stevia packets are featured on the side of the car that faces the inside of the track. And lastly, going back to the original thought of having the car speak to the meaning of SweetLeaf, the team wanted to highlight some of the consumers favorite items to use the sweeteners in. SweetLeaf Monk Fruit used for baking and Stevia used in coffee.
The design is refreshing and looks different from both sides. The blue, orange and green offer an elevated classy, creative collaboration between Kroger, SweetLeaf, JTG Daugherty Racing, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The Sweetleaf Camaro has a color scheme that is noticeable driving in the pack, but there was only one problem…
Traditionally, NASCAR car designs are mirrored on both sides of the car. There are many reasons for this, some being for TV angles and some being for safety. However, as long as either side of the car does not differentiate too drastically, a design can be approved. A couple restless days later, word came down the line through JTG Daugherty Racing that NASCAR had approved the design! The new SweetLeaf Camaro will see the light of day!
SweetLeaf entered the realm of rarity in NASCAR skins and sponsorships by having a beautiful SweetLeaf Camaro that has different sides and will be striking on the raceway in Pocono, Pennsylvania the weekend of July 22nd through the 24th, 2022.
SweetLeaf Camaro at Pocono
When the SweetLeaf car hits Pocono the Sweetleaf team has a lot planned come race weekend and day. Our activations include appearances by the SweetLeaf Camero driver, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on Saturday and Sunday at the SweetLeaf booth before the race, sampling of SweetLeaf products for all fans in the raceway, giveaways, and lots of autograph signing!
For all other SweetLeaf and NASCAR fans who are unable to attend the race at Pocono Raceway or who will be watching the race from the comfort of your couch, SweetLeaf is offering 20% off site-wide on SWEETLEAF.COM from July 22nd to July 24th.
Enjoy the race and GO RICKY!
