Posted in: NCAA, Nerd Food, Pop Culture, Sports, TV | Tagged: football, ncaa, pop-tarts

Pop-Tarts Bowl Returns with 3 Mascots; Game MVP Chooses Sacrifice

The Pop-Tarts Bowl is back, baby! And with it comes three mascots - but only one will make "The Ultimate Sacrifice." But who will decide?

For some, it was a brilliantly twisted marketing idea that made the pastry treat the talk of November. For others, it was a disturbing PR stunt that came off like a cross between Midsommar, The Wicker Man, and Cannibal Holocaust. For us, it was both – in all of the best ways possible. Last December, Pop-Tarts sponsored a bowl game between the 25th-ranked Kansas City Wildcats and the 18th-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack. Though the Wildcats would get the win, 28-19, it would be what was going on before and after the game that would make headlines. See, when they introduced us to Strawberry as the first-ever edible mascot, we kinda had an idea where this was all going.

But even with that ten-ton hint, we weren't quite ready for the disturbing visual of Strawberry holding a sign that read, "Dreams really do come true" before being lowered into an obscenely large "toaster" – and things got really weird, really fast.  fast. For example, Strawberry entered the "toaster" with arms and legs but didn't exit with them – meaning his arms and legs were burnt off in the process. Ouch. But it was at the end of the game that things started feeling kinda wrong, with the players tearing into Strawberry (baked with a smile on his face) like he owed them all money, as trophies were being awarded and Donna Summer (the one sane moment in all of this) played throughout the stadium.

Earlier this summer, we learned that The Pop-Tarts Bowl would be back on our screens on Saturday, December 28, at 3:30 pm ET on ABC. Once again, the game will feature the top teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences battling it out at Camping World Stadium – but there is a huge difference this time. Instead of the pastry treat company offering up who the sacrifice will be to the masses, Pop-Tarts is letting the masses choose this year's sacrifice. The game itself will have three mascots this year – Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae, Frosted Wild Berry, and a mystery flavor that's making a return – but only one of them will make the ultimate sacrifice. Who will it be? Well, the honor of offering the "thumbs down" has been bestowed upon the game's MVP. Here's a look at the possible suspects, one of which is currently hiding behind that foil wrapper:

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!