There are companies that hold naming-rights sponsorships for college bowl games who “seem fine with just having their name on them, doing little to use it to try to pick up new customers,” but that “can't be said" for Chick-fil-A, which has sponsored the former Peach Bowl in Atlanta since '98, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. At Monday night's LSU-Clemson game, the QSR will “hand out 5,000 bags to tailgaters with four of the restaurant's famous sandwiches and a six pack of Coke in each one.” Chick-fil-A concessionaires, going “up and down the aisles, will sell about 25,000 of the company's sandwiches.” There also will be “a mini cow in the 72,000 cup holders at the game.” Chick-fil-A Senior VP & CMO Steve Robinson said college football is “the only sport we invest in nationally.” Robinson added, “The demographics are just right for us. People in the 18-54 range, a split of men and women equally. College football fans also tend to have higher income and eat at fast casual and casual places.” He noted, “We are located on over 200 campuses nationwide, where we license our brand. But the stars often don't align for the stadium deals because the people we license Chick-fil-A to often aren't the same concessionaire running things at the stadium. We have a bunch of deals, but to work hard to get them in stadiums for six or seven Saturdays really isn't worth it for us.” Rovell notes the company’s activation during the game also includes “dropping 4,500 cows in parachutes from the ceiling before the game starts,” and having “20 cows running around at one time.” Robinson: “We want to create as many opportunities as possible to interact with fans, take photos and get our brand out there" (ESPN.com, 12/31).
