Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is title sponsor of the renamed Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

A cereal mascot as a bowl-game name? We should have seen this one coming. Eager to remind football fans to buy and eat more cereal, Kellogg Co. says Frosted Flakes is the new title sponsor of the Sun Bowl, or what’s now to be known as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Tony the Tiger, who has promoted the sweetened cereal since the early 1950s, is said to be the first mascot to put its name on a college football bowl game. Tony the Tiger, a character created by the Leo Burnett agency and known for his “They're Gr-r-reat!" tagline, is no stranger to football, having played it in a 2011 campaign. The bowl sponsorship was announced a week after Tony the Tiger was listed as the top cereal mascot for likeability, persuasiveness and trustworthiness, according to a survey of 1,630 people issued by Crestline Custom Promotional Products. It also follows a 5 percent drop in North American cereal sales at parent company Kellogg Co. The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl game, played between members of the ACC and Pac-12, is set to take place at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, on Dec. 31 and shown on CBS. The deal includes: an updated logo featuring the cereal mascot; digital and social media; in-stadium exposure for the brand; product sampling and on-site activation at the game; and other events put on by the Sun Bowl organization. The sponsorship was announced Tuesday in El Paso, Texas, just weeks after a mass shooting that occurred at a Walmart in the city, killing 22 people. “In light of the recent, heartbreaking events in El Paso, it is more important now than ever to focus on the strength of this community and the events that make our city great,” Bernie Olivas, executive director of the Sun Bowl Association, said in a statement. The Sun Bowl and Kellogg say they will raise awareness and funds for at-risk middle school sports programs through a multiyear partnership with DonorsChoose.org. Frosted Flakes announced its Mission Tiger program to support middle-school sports earlier this month. While Frosted Flakes’ Tony the Tiger might be the first mascot with a bowl game, it’s not the first time food has gotten involved. There’s the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, played in Boise. Another Kellogg brand, Cheez-It, has a bowl and recently became an official sponsor of the College Football Playoff series. And the Citrus Bowl, which was originally called the Tangerine Bowl, is now the VRBO Citrus Bowl. The deal between the Sun Bowl Association and Frosted Flakes was brokered by Impression Sports & Entertainment.

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is title sponsor of the renamed Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

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