Sweet Baby Ray’s wanted to stay culturally relevant during NFL Playoffs while reinforcing its “Sauce First” brand platform in a way that felt playful, social-first, and distinctly ownable. The challenge was finding a way into the Dry January conversation without feeling preachy or forcing a traditional sports campaign ahead of the Super Bowl.

We flipped the meaning of “dry” on its head. Instead of talking about sobriety, Sweet Baby Ray’s encouraged fans to say “No to Dry January” by keeping dryness out of the kitchen during playoff season.

The campaign centered around a retro PSA-inspired hero video and jingle, supported by influencer content, social activations, and a pledge-driven landing page where fans could commit to keeping their game day food saucy for a chance to win a year’s supply of sauce, a custom branded bar cart, and the ultimate sauce fountain.

2026 Silver Winner at the Telly Awards
for General Culture & Lifestyle

Agency: GYK
Client: Sweet Baby Ray's
Year: 2026

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Managing Director: Mike Stevens
Account Director: Erika Gammon
Account Manager: Cody Farley
Head of Strategy: Angela Cole
Art Director/Designer: Suellen Guerreiro
Copywriter: Tim North
Content Producer: Gus Lopes
Producer: Kelly Van Wart
Chief Media Officer: Adam Telian
Media Planner: Jared Schauer
Media Manager: Julia Heitin

Art Direction, Design, Campaign Development, Social Content, Landing Page Design, Creative Concepting