First Edible Mascot Debuts at Pop-Tarts Bowl

The sports world debuted something new this year at the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Fla. – the first edible mascot in sports history.

After the Kansas State Wildcats beat the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 28-19, on Thursday, the winning team tore into a giant toaster pastry that slid out of the bottom of an even bigger toaster.

On game day, the Pop-Tarts mascot arrived at the stadium in a giant toaster and was repeatedly touted as being edible by everyone from stadium staff to broadcast announcers, Mediaite reported.

ESPN commentator Anish Shroff said multiple times that the mascot was just hours away from his demise.

"He came out of a toaster, a giant toaster, minutes before kickoff," Shroff said. "Well, here's the sad part of the story: after the game, he will be devoured. He will die; and he will be his own last meal."

At the end of the game, the Pop-Tart mascot resumed his position on top of the toaster, holding a sign that read, "DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE." He was then lowered into the toaster and an actual giant Pop-Tart emerged, which Kansas State players and coaches began eagerly devouring.

Adorned with silver-tone Pop-Tarts around the base, the Pop-Tarts trophy included slots at the top of a silver football to hold two of the toaster pastries.

Ari Wasserman, national college football reporter at The Athletic, cited the marketing move as the reason he was craving Pop-Tarts on Thursday night.

"There is no way the wonderful people over at Pop-Tarts aren't getting their money's worth for sponsoring this bowl game," Wasserman wrote on X. "I haven't had a Pop-Tart since college and now I want them. Talk of the town tonight."

An account named Stanford Tree wrote, "RIP to my dear friend and mentor, the @PopTartsBowl Mascot."

"I find solace in knowing that — in being eaten — you achieved your most precious goal. This loss is bitter and sweet, sugary and tart. Just like you. Leviticus 26:29," Stanford Tree said, adding several emojis to the post.

In an email to NPR, Heidi Ray, senior director of brand marketing at Pop-Tarts (Kellanova) said the brand has been "blown away" by the reaction to the marketing.

"Campaigns that earn both coverage and conversation have a disproportionate business impact," Ray said. "We have been blown away by the reaction and engagement, which we are still analyzing. But, at this point, we are looking at success that rivals a major Super Bowl moment."

The bowl game now known as the Pop-Tarts Bowl was originally called the Blockbuster Bowl and took place in 1990 in Miami. More than 74,000 fans reportedly attended. Today, the game is played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Through the years, the game has had a number of different sponsors, with Pop-Tarts being the most recent one after it signed a multiyear agreement with Florida Citrus Sports, a nonprofit events management group.

• Woman Sues Kellogg for $5M Over Lack of Strawberries in Pop-Tarts
• 'Taylor Swift Effect' Brings Spending Boost to Football