Splash ‘N’ Go: List of drivers has plenty of heartthrob potential (NASCAR.com)
September 3, 2010
Kasey Kahne was among the first to be marketed with the female fan and consumer in mind. Through his campaign with Allstate, the sponsor cast Kahne as eye candy that distracted women so much that they crashed their cars.
Perusing the newsstands this week, I had to laugh when I reached the stack of Tiger Beat and Seventeen magazines.
Images of me tacking pinups of Kirk Cameron and Ralph Macchio to my wall with mom’s high-heel shoe come to mind.
In my diluted teenage brain, I actually thought one day the cast of Growing Pains would call me to play Julie, Kirk’s girlfriend. Clearly the bands on my orthodontic headgear were fastened too tight.
Those were the days. Spending hours swooning over and pinning for a teen heartthrob, dreaming of ways to meet or find said heartthrob.
I get it. I was a major offender in my teens so when I’m at a race track and I see young girls lose their minds when Kasey Kahne walks by, I get it. I can also sympathize with the girl who once hyperventilated while waiting in line for a Joey Logano autograph. And had I owned a computer in my teenage years, you can bet I would’ve stalked Trevor Bayne on Google.
With NASCAR’s marketing power and appealing personalities, the sport is more than capable of producing teen heartthrobs today despite its predominantly male and seemingly southern fan base.
Kasey Kahne was among the first to be marketed with the female fan and consumer in mind. Through his campaign with Allstate, the sponsor cast Kahne as eye candy that distracted women so much that they crashed their cars. That, coupled with his boyish good looks and talent on the race track placed Kahne among the top five most popular NASCAR drivers among women ages 18 to 34 as indicated by his merchandise sales.
Kahne said he believes his appeal and marketing strategy attracted new and younger female fans to the sport.
“I do, and I think, you know, just probably because I was young, racing pretty decent, and they were watching,” Kahne said. “I think it just kind of all worked at the right time. Then you got the Allstate commercials, some of those things going on at the same time. It just worked. I think it was good timing. It seemed like racing has a lot to do with timing, and that was another part that worked out well with that group.”
And while Kahne is now 30 and reaching veteran status, his popularity among the females has yet to wane.
At some point, another driver will have to be crowned NASCAR’s heartthrob as Kahne is so often referred to in the media. The No. 9 driver won’t be young forever.
I have a few drivers on my list that could fit the bill, but marketing experts say it must occur organically to appear authentic. You have to be careful not to turn off the female fan base because the group is growing in numbers and does most of the purchasing.
Women also constitute an important part of the NASCAR fan base because research has shown that females identify intensely with the drivers themselves rather than the racing itself.
Bottom line, it is a group not to be ignored according to Mike Mooney, vice president of Millsport, a sports marketing and sponsorship agency.
“You have to look at this group from the perspective of its purchasing power and their ability to influence their own friends,” Mooney said. “It is about influence and their ability to evangelize about a product. And this age group also has the ability to make their own decisions and choose where to spend their time.”
And if I choose to spend my time watching NASCAR, and I’m between the ages of 18 to 34, I want commercials that appeal to me. I want Kasey Kahne break dancing in an Allstate commercial.
If it isn’t Kahne, perhaps it is one of the few drivers I have on my aforementioned list of NASCAR’S future heartthrobs: Joey Logano, Austin Dillon and Trevor Bayne.
Each of these drivers is young, talented and attractive. More important, they don’t mind the heartthrob title, unlike Kahne, who was less than comfortable with connotation.
As a Truck Series driver, college student and grandson of Richard Childress, Austin Dillon has already proven he can win races, and his campus lifestyle is especially appealing to young female fans.
“I have no problems with girls chasing me,” Dillon laughed while referring to commercials Kahne had done. “That would be pretty cool. I remember when Kasey first started. I was even a fan of him. After meeting him and how cool of a person he is, he does appeal to the younger audience. That would be awesome to bring younger fans into the sport. Like you said, the college atmosphere. If it may be girls, whoever it may be, the younger world, I would love to have as many fans as I can get. Whatever it takes to get ‘em, we’ll hopefully keep winning and see how it goes.”
Next in line: Trevor Bayne. Arguably, with his good looks and charm, Bayne could be NASCAR’s next heartthrob and fill in for drivers such as Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. when they age out of the demographic.
Translation: When they’re too old to be considered hotties.
If Bayne’s career takes off, he’ll surely be on the list for most popular NASCAR drivers among the female fans.
“The other day I got online looking for some photos of my race car and the first thing that popped up was ‘does Trevor Bayne have a girlfriend?’ I thought it was funny but actually kind of cool,” said Bayne, a Nationwide Series driver for Michael Waltrip Racing. “I wouldn’t mind being the next heartthrob, but that is up to your girls.”
Last, but certainly not least, is Joey Logano. If you’ve been to one of his driver appearances you know his fan base skews young and female.
“I have a lot of 13 and 14 year old girls that like me. I don’t mind it. I’m young and close to their age and I guess you might say I’m personable,” Logano said. “I get a kick out of it, I play along. I’ll give them a hug and they’ll get all excited.”
So maybe Logano’s crew chief Greg Zipadelli will be replaced by a bunch of star-crazed tweens in the next Home Depot commercial.
“One time a bunch of cheerleaders came to Home Depot and did back flips down the isles, so yeah, sometimes I feel like a Jonas Brother … but it’s cool. To be a part of that, I’m lucky if I can draw new fans to the sport.”
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
