Cheetos has signed a deal to sponsor USA Curling this season, the NGB’s largest promotional sponsorship in its history. The Frito-Lay brand and its Chester Cheetah mascot will help promote the sport ahead of the '18 PyeongChang Games. Redskins TE and curling enthusiast Vernon Davis is part of the package along with six curling athletes, according to the company and USA Curling CEO Rick Patzke. Cheetos will launch a social media hashtag campaign, #dothecurl. Patzke said the brand intends to market a new product, white cheese curls, and activate at the U.S. Olympic Trials in November. Cheetos has teased the sponsorship in two recent tweets featuring Chester wearing a “coach” hat, with a curling sheet reflected in his sunglasses. Curling has become something of a breakout hit in recent Winter Games broadcasts thanks to NBC’s extensive coverage, but that had not translated into big growth in sponsorship sales yet, Patzke said. Cheetos could change that, he said. Patzke said, “As I’ve been saying, we’re a diamond in the rough for someone who really wants to take a chance, but it doesn’t seem like we’ve been able to get that company to stand up and take advantage of that. And I think Cheetos is doing it.”
