College bowl game goes Doggystyle

Want a fun exercise?

Take the newest sponsor for the Tucson, Arizona-based college bowl game and challenge yourself to scribble as many publicity ideas as you can onto a piece of paper. Chances are high that you’ll run out of space. Some might not be safe for work, but they’ll be creative. {Ahem.}

Beginning December 28, 2024, teams from the Mountain West and Mid-American conferences will compete in the “Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop.”

It’s a mouthful and marketers might be doobious, er, dubious, about an event name with so many words. But it’s Snoop. As a rapper, entrepreneur and master marketer, he’s recognized pretty much everywhere.

Some may not know that Snoop, whose legal name is Calvin Broadus, Jr., has been heavily involved with youth football for nearly 20 years. A philanthropic and sports passion that veers far from his music marketing, his Snoop Youth Football League, which provides opportunities for kids from underserved communities, focuses on “values of character, integrity, discipline and teamwork through football and cheer.” It’s seen more than 40 players earn invites from NFL teams and hundreds of others learn life skills and embrace self-confidence in whatever they choose to do.

As for the Gin & Juice part of the bowl game – it’s Snoop’s new canned cocktail. If the drink’s name sounds even a little familiar, it’s from a song on his 1994 Doggystyle album produced by Dr. Dre. True to form, it breaks rank, this time, as the first alcohol-presenting sponsor for a college bowl game.

What do we call it?

The beverage is bound to attract thirsty fans and Dr. Dre will get some mentions but to be blunt, count on football fans to refer to the game simply as the Snoop Bowl or Snooper Bowl (the latter is reportedly the name of an event surrounding the bowl).

Expectations are high.

Anticipation is high for Snoop’s bowl publicity and marketing. It’s not that celebrity promoters are new --  Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski lent their names to a college bowl game the last few years. This one’s different because Snoop is a real sponsor.

Snoop’s cash and creativity can lead to a bowl of surprises. Word-of-mouth publicity alone could rival the likes of the Pop-Tart Bowl and out-buzz the College Football Playoff. (Snoop staff — if you need help, I’m here for you.)

###

©Gail Sideman, gpublicity 2024