Snickers Ice Cream partnered with the number one NFL Draft pick and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young to front a campaign introducing a new, limited-edition frozen treat titled the ‘Bryce Cream Bar’.
After penning an ambassador deal with former Crimson Tide quarterback Young, who at the time was one of the favourites to be picked first in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Mars-Wrigley brand sought to be a relationship with a potential NFL superstar early on in his career and leverage it league sponsorship by releasing the limited-edition product.
Launched shortly ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft – held between 27 to 29 April in Kansas City, Missouri – the cold confection was available at select on-site and nearby locations with additional in-person tastings taking place in Tuscaloosa (Alabama) which was the home town of Young’s University of Alabama alma mater.
While online visitors to a Snickers landing page were also invited to enter a list-building contest to win a six-pack of the ice cream bar.
The marketing campaign, which also promoted the standard version of the sweet snack, also included social amplification across brand and player platforms.
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This initiative saw Mars-Wrigley further expand its relationship with football fans through its 20-year official league tie-up which has been spearheaded by its market-leading Snickers chocolate bar.
Previous notable activations have included its long-running ‘Rookie Mistake Of The Year’ platform.
Through his three years as a student athlete with the Crimson Tide, Young appeared in several ad campaigns – for brands such as Nissan (including joining its long-running ‘Heisman House’ series) & Dr Pepper (Including its long-running ‘Fansville’ series) – as the star college athlete benefitted from the NCAA’s recent Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) college athlete commercial regulations.
Indeed, the landscape for brands partnering with college athletes has grown quickly since the NIL changes came into force in 2021 as marketers sought to work with student athletes to engage younger fan/consumer demographics.
Adidas, for example, set up a paid ambassador affiliate network for more than 50,000 student athletes last year.
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