NASCAR And Hurley Ready To Surf Into 2023 Atop A Youth Wave

This Sunday whether you are at the season opening Daytona 500 in person or watching on TV don’t be surprised to see more younger fans among the crowd than ever before. In the past few years the sport has focused on not only attracting a more diverse crowd, but a younger one as well.

Those efforts got a big boost during the pandemic ravaged season of 2020. People trapped in their homes tuned into NASCAR offerings, primarily the online league that pitted their top drivers against one another virtually. It became one of the few televised sporting events on national TV.

The online world, particularly online gaming, belongs to the youth and after that season tech company Morning Consult released a report of the fastest growing brands of 2020, which showed NASCAR made inroads with Gen Z, the generation regarded by most as being born between 1997 and 2015. According to that report NASCAR ranked number nine out of the twenty fastest growing brands for Gen Z and saw a 7.9% growth among the 18-23 demo, topping such brands as Pepsi, ABC TV, and Snapchat.

That youth movement shows no signs of slowing down. During the season opening Clash exhibition race at the L.A. Coliseum just a few weeks ago, NASCAR sat aside an entire section for college age fans. That section was filled with young fans who brought an energy not seen at a track and perhaps proving to the rest of the world that NASCAR’s youth movement indeed has a great deal of momentum.

Brands have noticed that momentum as well. It should also not be a surprise to see an action-sports brand like Hurley join in a collaboration with NASCAR. In fact, it was the momentum of that youth movement that attracted a company best known for surfing and the beach.

“They actually did approach us with interest in talking about the sport,” said Megan Malayter, managing director for licensing and consumer products at NASCAR. “They noticed the commonality of some of the attributes of our brand. You know, for example, we were both kind of born on the beach, we’re both extreme sports. We live on the edge and race that way.”

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The idea for a line of licensed NASCAR products was born about two years ago according to Christine Peddy VP of global marketing for Hurley.

“We were just thinking through who would be a great partner to collaborate with,” she said. “And, you know, for us it’s all about how can you bring new relevance to the Hurley consumer?

“We thought one great way to do that would be by teaming up with NASCAR, knowing that it’s its 75th anniversary. And for us as a brand, we love to do things that are unexpected. So I think this was really something that consumers didn’t expect, because for the most part, a lot of people know Hurley for surfing and here we are entering into racing.”

While collaborating on licensed NASCAR products is about selling items, it’s also about continuing to reach out to markets, for both sides.

“I think in general when it comes to these collaborations on licensed product,” said Malayter. “Really, you’re seeing that as an increasing thing for reaching new audiences, younger audiences there. And when you collaborate with fashion brands that will collaborate with us on things, a lot of times it’s because we’re sharing attributes that we see in each other that can help us both grow and reach new audiences in the space.”

Even though the products just launched, so far, the reception has been very positive.

“It’s been well received because at the end of the day both Hurley and NASCAR were kind of broadening the communication across to consumer groups,” Peddy said. “And it’s a great opportunity to give our Hurley consumers something special with NASCAR, and then obviously the NASCAR consumer can check out the Hurly gear.

“It’s really all about how do you broaden the interests? And because we have such an unbelievable campaign, especially across social media in this day and age, it’s all about how can you engage your consumers. And NASCAR is definitely something that consumers are interested in; the excitement, they really do love to engage.”

For NASCAR the social media campaigns combined with the athletes on the Hurley team of athletes surfers such as Brazilian Filipe Toledo, Hawaiian Kai Lenny and Carissa Moore, who won the first ever Olympic gold medal for surfing, bring a vibe the kind of vibe NASCAR wants.

“They help us attract the younger audience there,” Malayter said. “They build immersive content around the program, beautifully shot apparel bringing in some of our up and coming drivers and, and really kind of building that star power by connecting them with things that the younger consumer cares about in terms of extreme sports and really great immersive content.

“I think if you go to their website, and you look at their Instagram program or what they’ve built on YouTube around this collection it’s all put together in a complete 360 way. It’s not just product, it’s the fusion of product with content, with retail putting everything together.”

Licensing NASCAR products has been part of the sport’s marketing for nearly as long as the sport has been in existence. But what was once a space dedicated to such things as diecast cars, t-shirts, hats, and such things as NASCAR themed Christmas ornaments, has now become more; it’s a vehicle to reach new, and more notably for NASCAR, younger fans.

“Our licensing business has experienced growth over the last couple years,” Malayter said. “And really kind of working with brands that are in different retail spaces there. You know, we had a great program last year with, with Culture Kings there that really kind of does more elevated streetwear.

“We’ve seen expansion, you know, into the specialty space with really kind of NASCAR serving as a fashion statement there. Whether it’s the traditional driver jackets or doing throwback collaboration with Starter.

“I think all of these different collaboration license programs are really important because we’re reaching newer, younger fans in the space that they live and, and all of these different brands have different characteristics and attributes there that you can position the creative in different ways to be on trend and hit different market demographics.”

So far, the collaboration with Hurley is working quite well. And while the company was confident it would be a success, they didn’t expect the sort of positive response they received when the line was launched.

“Everyone was kind of holding their breath,” Peddy said. “Because we wanted to see, well, what’s the consumer response? Is it going to be positive? And then more importantly, what’s happening with the sales.

“And really our minds were blown because, you know, the product is selling like crazy. We’ve received a lot of great press, you know, about the designs. I live here in New York City, and kind of the latest news in New York City at New York Fashion Week is race car jackets are very popular right now. There’re basically celebrities showing up for these high-end fashion shows and they’re wearing race jackets. So that’s kind of exciting as well, that unknowingly here we are capitalizing on a big fashion trend.”

At the Daytona 500, Hurley plans a huge at the track activation that will feature such Hurley athletes like Will Skudin a big wave surfer and skateboarder Elliot Sloan along with up-and-coming NASCAR driver Noah Gragson who was signed as a Hurley athlete as part of the collaboration.

“So, all of these guys are going to be a part of our World of Hurley experience,” Peddy said. “We’re so excited to really give the fans that are coming to the race and walking through the track site activations an opportunity to meet our athletes, get t-shirts, get signatures, and just kind of celebrate Hurley and see what the brand is all about.”

NASCAR drive Noah Gragson will be among those athletes. Hurley added the young driver to its lineup as part of the NASCAR collaboration. The 24-year-old Gragson was raised on the West Coast.

“It’s really cool to be grouped up with guys like that and supporting a brand,” Gragson said. “I grew up surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, everything. You know, being on the West Coast, that’s what I did. Every summer we’d go down to the beach and I’d surf for two months every day.”

He fondly remembers buy Hurley gear at a store on Laguna Beach.

“They sold Hurley stuff in there,” he said. “And you can go in there and customize your own Hurley Phantom Swim trunks.

“This was 15 years ago. And those are still to this day, my favorite pair of swim trunks that I’ve had just because I got to design them and customize them and customize t-shirts and stuff. They had a really cool deal there. So I’ve always been a big fan of Hurley.”

Gragson said when he learned he would be one of Hurley’s athletes one of the first things they did was bring him to Daytona International Speedway along with Kai Lenny and a few other Hurley athletes for a promo shoot to launch the new line. He was able to take them around the 2.5-mile speedway at 160 miles per hour in a pace car. Even weeks later, Gragson was fired up about the experience and his role as a Hurley athlete.

“This is awesome,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what we can do more in the future. I know the shoot that we had with Hurley down in Daytona, that was the most fun day I’ve ever had; doing stuff like that and just being surrounded by all their athletes and really cool product too. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

For NASCAR the Hurly collaboration is one more way they will continue the momentum of their youth movement.

“I think it’s amazing,” Malayter said. “Because you know what, collaborating with these different brands on licensed programs allows us to really engage in bigger storytelling around the sport and fashion. And a lot of ways that you reach these younger consumers, they’re finding us through fashion because that’s what they’re looking at in their world there.”