The Cheez-It crusted turkey leg is the showpiece of the Cheez-It-inspired Citrus Bowl concession lineup. (Don Montague/AP Images for the NFL)
Cheez-It/AP
When fans descend on Orlando’s Camping World Stadium Dec. 31 for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, it marks a major fan experience opportunity for the popular cracker brand. This year that includes a range of new Cheez-It-inspired concession items meant to showcase the versatility of the cracker while wowing fans with head-turning items like the Cheez-It crusted turkey leg.
“For Cheez-It, the in-stadium experience is where our brand personality really comes to life,” Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director at Cheez-It, tells me. “Fans aren’t just watching the game—they’re part of a shared cultural moment, and we amplify that with experiences they’ll talk about long after the final whistle.”
To make the most of the bowl game sponsorship, in-stadium activations feature large. As one of the biggest stages for fan interaction, the annual event allows the brand to debut something unexpected. That equates to a range of new product at the Citrus Bowl. “We get to launch it in front of a national audience that loves to celebrate the fun and pageantry of college bowl season” she says. “The bowl game gives us permission to think bigger, take creative swings and deliver food concepts fans simply can’t get anywhere else.”
In-stadium experiences help brands showcase product in fresh ways.
Cheez-It
This year that included more than half-a-dozen specialty items, all led by the $25 crusted turkey leg with a signature bright orange color. The turkey comes served alongside a sweet cranberry chutney. To link the stadium experience to fans watching at home, Cheez-It plans to post a recipe online for folks to try it out themselves.
MORE: How Sports Embraces Cheese Sponsorships, The New Stadium Cheddar
Turkey isn’t the only canvas for the cracker in Orlando. Cheez-It plans a walking nachos concession item that features nacho cheese sauce, chuckwagon chili dip and green onions on a bed of crackers; a mac and Cheez-It nachos with macaroni in a creamy extra-sharp cheddar sauce with Extra Big Cheez-It crackers, queso, bacon and green onions; a loaded chili dog that is a foot-long all-beef frank topped with chunky chili, jalapeño cheese sauce, white onions and crushed crackers; a pimento bacon burger featuring two patties, Cheez-It pimento cheese, cracker topping and smoked applewood bacon; and a pair of pizzas that include a white cheddar cracker garnish.
The Cheez-It mascot Prince Cheddward returns to the Citrus Bowl in 2025.
Cheez-It
Having the brand at Camping World Stadium, Tragseiler says, allows them to “showcase the full creativity of the brand in a way that goes far beyond a box on a shelf. While fans can purchase boxes or bags of Cheez-It crackers at the game, our creativity shines through the unexpected culinary mashups like the Cheez-It crusted turkey leg.”
The reintroduction of the Prince Cheddward mascot—he makes a reappearance after three years away from the limelight—combines with the food items, all aimed to spark conversation across social media. “The stadium lets us blend real-time fan energy with the playful spirit our brand is known for,” Tragseiler says. “It’s our opportunity to meet fans where they are and give them something unforgettable to add to their game day story.”
Tragseiler says that showing product in the stadium environment “reinforces the breadth of the portfolio and the brand’s versatility, giving us visibility while creating fun new experiences for fans with our products.”
MORE: The Stadium History Of Nachos
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timnewcomb/2025/12/10/cheez-it-embracing-stadium-experience-for-unique-fan-engagement/
