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A number of food brands have flexed their marketing muscle with the help of the college football bowl games they’ve sponsored, and Bush’s became the latest to stick the landing after throwing its support behind the Boca Raton Bowl. Now, it’s giving fans the chance to land tickets to the showdown between Louisville and Toledo by rolling up to the stadium with a can of baked beans.
There are currently more than 40 bowl games that offer college football teams the chance to cap off their season in contests that have historically also served as a testament to capitalism thanks to the companies that shell out a significant amount of money to sponsor them.
It’s tough to get people to genuinely celebrate displays of corporate synergy, but a number of brands in the food space have defied the odds with the help of various stunts that have managed to become fairly beloved college football traditions.
For example, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl ends with the coach of the winning team getting covered in that condiment, and we live in a world where the ritual sacrifice of a giant Pop-Tart that slowly descends into a comically large toaster has become one of the highlights of the college football season.
We were also treated to a fantastic rebrand when Bush’s sponsored the Boca Raton Bowl this season, and it dreamed up a promotion to give people some extra incentive to attend while contributing to an admirable cause in the process.
Fans can score a ticket to the Boca Raton Bowl by donating a can of baked beans
The Boca Raton Bowl didn’t have a sponsor when it was played for the first time at FAU’s Flagler Credit Union Stadium in 2014, and that was also the case last season after a roof inspection company declined to end its affiliation after four years.
However, the baked bean buffs at Bush’s decided to get in on the action this season by sponsoring what is now officially known as the “Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans,” which will feature Toledo facing off against Louisville on December 23rd.
Both of those schools are located more than 1,000 miles away from the stadium where the game will be played, and it’s a bit hard to imagine the venue will come close to hitting its maximum capacity of 30,000 fans.
However, Bush’s is doing what it can to give people some extra incentive to make the trek, as the first 2,000 fans who roll up with a can of its baked beans will get a seat in the “MVBean” section near one of the end zones (the cans will be donated to feed local families in need).
As of this writing, it’s unclear if the coach of the winning team will get showered in baked beans, but they’re missing out on a golden opportunity if that doesn’t end up being the case.