Entering its second year as a title sponsor of the Citrus Bowl, Buffalo Wild Wings unveiled a series of activations that aim to bring to life one of the longest running bowl games for fans attending, watching from a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and following online or via mobile devices. Key activations include a limited time only wing sauce collaboration with Mountain Dew, in-stadium concessions, live feed reactions from restaurants, an interactive website hub, social media giveaways and philanthropic activities in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, featuring the University of Michigan and University of Florida will be played at 1 p.m. on January 1, and televised on ABC.
“We enjoyed a tremendous inaugural year partnering with the Citrus Bowl, and are excited to welcome two of the most storied college football programs to participate in this year’s game,” says Bob Ruhland, vice president of marketing at Buffalo Wild Wings. “This year, we’re focusing on new ways that help create an authentic B-Dubs experience for fans in the stands, those watching from our 1,150 restaurants and those following the action online and from their phones. We’re the sports fans biggest fan, so we’re constantly looking for opportunities to enhance their gameday experiences.”
To celebrate the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Buffalo Wild Wings partnered with Mountain Dew to create a limited time only sauce—Zesty Citrus. Available in restaurants from December 14 through January 2, the bold citrus flavor of Mountain Dew was infused with lemongrass and spicy red pepper-flakes.
For the first time, more than 60,000 fans attending the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will also be able to purchase boneless wings spun in Zesty Citrus and Honey BBQ sauces at two Buffalo Wild Wings branded concession areas and enjoy chicken tenders served with Honey BBQ at three additional locations within the stadium.
In an effort to put a spotlight on the atmosphere and real-time reactions from within a Buffalo Wild Wings during bowl season, live feed video will be displayed on the in-stadium video board following pivotal moments and touchdowns during the Citrus Bowl. Reactions from Wolverines and Gators fans will be streamed from local Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Lake City, Florida, respectively.
In support of the company’s Team Up for Kids mission, which focuses on helping more kids play team sports, Buffalo Wild Wings will present its 2015 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, totaling at least $2.7 million. An additional donation of $10,000 will be presented to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. Buffalo Wild Wings is also providing 300 tickets to local area Orlando Boys & Girls Club members to watch the Citrus Bowl and will host dozens of Team Up for Kids participants at the Bowl’s “Day for Kids” event on December 30, providing opportunities for kids to play interactive games with players from the University of Michigan and University of Florida. Finally, at the game’s FanFest on January 1, Buffalo Wild Wings will create a donation wall allowing fans and supporters to make donations to the Team Up for Kids program via paper pinups.
