Pop-Tarts Expands 2025 Bowl With Live Fan Voting, Tailgate Pack

Chicago — Pop-Tarts is expanding its presence at the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl, introducing live fan voting during the game and a limited-edition Team Sprinkles vs. Team Swirls tailgate pack tied to its edible mascot campaign. The college football bowl game kicks off Saturday, December 27, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with voting determining which mascot team will be “sacrificed” following the final whistle.

The activation builds on the brand’s increasingly theatrical bowl sponsorship strategy. It blends real-time audience participation, social media engagement, and limited-run packaged products. Pop-Tarts confirmed that fans can vote during the game by texting “SPRINKLES” or “SWIRLS” to 21523. Voting opens at kickoff and concludes at the end of the broadcast.

In addition to the in-game vote, Pop-Tarts is offering a limited-edition collector tailgate pack. The package features full-sized boxes of all six edible mascot flavors showcased at this year’s event. Fans can enter for a chance to win the pack via Instagram. The entry period runs from December 18 through December 21, according to the company.

What’s included in the limited-edition tailgate pack

The Team Sprinkles vs. Team Swirls box includes six Pop-Tarts flavors tied directly to the on-field mascots:

Protein Slammin’ Strawberry
Frosted Cherry
Frosted Cookies & Crème
Frosted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Frosted Wild Berry
Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae

The pack is designed for at-home watch parties and tailgates, extending the bowl experience beyond the stadium and into consumers’ kitchens.

According to Leslie Serro, vice president of marketing for Pop-Tarts, the brand intentionally leaned into consumer participation this year. She said the campaign reflects how strongly fans identify with specific flavors and characters, making the live vote a natural extension of that loyalty.

In-stadium activations expand the experience

Beyond the vote and retail tie-in, Pop-Tarts is adding several on-site elements at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, including a pregame Fan Fest, a dedicated Mascot Cam livestream across TikTok and Instagram, and customized concessions. Stadium menu items include Loaded Pop-Tarts toaster pastries, Pop-Tarts Nachos, deep-fried Pop-Tarts, and returning desserts such as waffle cone sundaes and Bavarian pretzels.

The brand said these additions are intended to create multiple touchpoints for fans attending in person as well as those watching remotely.

Why it matters

Pop-Tarts’ latest bowl expansion underscores a broader CPG trend toward experience-led marketing, where brands compete for attention through participatory moments rather than traditional advertising. Live voting, limited-edition packaging, and social-first activations allow brands to gather engagement data while reinforcing emotional connections with consumers.

For food brands, especially those targeting Gen Z and younger millennials, the Pop-Tarts Bowl illustrates how entertainment, digital interaction, and physical products can converge into a single campaign ecosystem. The strategy also highlights how limited-time retail formats can extend the lifespan of experiential marketing beyond a single event.

Editor’s note: Source86 perspective

For food manufacturers and private label brands, the Pop-Tarts Bowl activation highlights how limited-edition packaging and real-time engagement are increasingly central to modern CPG strategy. Campaigns that blend entertainment with retail-ready products create new demand spikes while strengthening brand identity across channels.

At Source86, we support brands navigating these moments by connecting them with bulk ingredient suppliers, co-manufacturers, and co-packers capable of executing short-run, high-impact launches. From R&D and formulation to wholesale sourcing and retail-ready execution, Source86 helps ensure that when brands move fast, their supply chains are built to keep up. Contact us.