At a time when packaged food makers and fast-food chains have bulked up their breakfast offerings, Kellanova is eager to recast one of its well-known breakfast options as a snack.
Kellanova is sponsoring two bowl games this college football season—the new Pop-Tarts Bowl and the returning Cheez-It Citrus Bowl—in a bid to connect with Gen Z and further expand consumers’ perceptions of its products. The games come months after Kellogg Co. finalized its split into two independent companies in October. Kellanova is the new home of snack brands including Pringles, Cheez-Its, Rice Krispies Treats and Eggo, which accounted for about 80% of the former Kellogg Co.’s sales.
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“A big part of the Pop-Tarts strategy is to show that they are appropriate for any snacking occasion,” said Julie Bowerman, chief marketing officer for Kellanova. “The brand has a history as a breakfast food, but if you look at our flavor offerings or on-the-go formats, and some other innovations you’ll see in 2024, we want to expand outside of breakfast.”
The Pop-Tarts Bowl will take place in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 28. Kellanova has said that the game will feature the first-ever edible mascot, but Bowerman declined to say how the mascot was edible. The brand is also giving fans a chance to win boxes of Pop-Tarts through prop bets—which it is promoting as Prop-Tarts—side wagers on parts of a game unrelated to its outcome. Bets include guessing what will be dumped on the winning coach’s head or who will take the first bite of the mascot. Concessions will feature Pop-Tart banana pudding, cheesecake and ice cream.
The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will also take place in Orlando, on Jan.1, 2024.