"Shortly after Iowa State's win in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Cyclones receiver Jaylin Noel, in a celebratory mood, went to grab the game's trophy to lug it home. But this trophy is different from any other and, as such, required Josh Price, an engineer who helped build the thing, to deliver some safety instructions. Noel wasn't interested. "He was like, 'It's a freakin' toaster, man,' and ran out of the room," Price said."
"The Pop-Tarts Bowl debuted as a genuine sports phenomenon in 2023, when the big shiny trophy -- a football with slots holding fake Pop-Tarts -- was unveiled, or rather, unwrapped. People went nuts, like they do for everything about this game, from the edible mascots to this year's helmets with sprinkles sprinkled in the stripes. In the week after the Pop-Tarts Bowl in 2023, Kellogg's sold 22 million more Pop-Tarts than they had the week before the game."
The Pop-Tarts Bowl built a viral identity around whimsical, branded elements including a trophy designed to look like a toaster. Players and builders treated the trophy like a novelty, prompting safety instructions despite playful reactions. The bowl pairs edible mascots and sprinkle-themed helmets with heavy social engagement to amplify attention. Marketing leaders described the approach as intentionally fun rather than trying to be a premier bowl. The campaign produced measurable commercial impact, with Kellogg's reporting a jump of 22 million Pop-Tarts sold the week after the 2023 game.
Read at ESPN.com
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