The food and beverage industry just witnessed a game-changing collaboration that’s rewriting the playbook on brand partnerships and consumer engagement. Bazooka Joe®, the iconic bubble gum brand that’s been cracking jokes and creating memories for over 70 years, is stepping into the big leagues with an unprecedented athlete collaboration that’s already generating buzz across retail channels nationwide.
This September marks a historic milestone: the first time Bazooka has introduced new printed comics inside their bubble gum packaging in nearly three decades. But this isn’t just about nostalgia: it’s a masterclass in modern food and beverage marketing that combines celebrity endorsements, collectible culture, and digital engagement into one cohesive strategy.
The Power Players Behind the Partnership
The collaboration features 12 standout athletes from major professional and collegiate leagues, including NFL superstars Jason Kelce (former Philadelphia Eagles) and DK Metcalf (Pittsburgh Steelers), NBA phenoms Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks) and Derrick White (Boston Celtics), plus rising stars from WNBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA circuits.
What sets this partnership apart in the food and beverage industry is the authentic investment relationship. These athletes aren’t just paid endorsers: they’re actual investors through Patricof Co., giving them genuine stake in the brand’s success. This investor-athlete model represents a sophisticated evolution in food and beverage company partnerships, where celebrity involvement extends beyond traditional sponsorship deals.
The roster includes diverse talent spanning multiple demographics:
- NFL: Jason Kelce, DK Metcalf, Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
- NBA: Karl-Anthony Towns, Derrick White, CJ McCollum (Washington Wizards)
- WNBA: Deja Kelly
- MLB: CC Sabathia (former NY Yankees), Freddie Freeman (LA Dodgers)
- NHL: Adam Henrique (Edmonton Oilers), Anders Lee (NY Islanders)
- NCAA: Flau’jae Johnson (LSU Tigers)
Innovative Comic Formats Drive Collection Culture
Bazooka’s strategic approach leverages three distinct comic formats, each targeting different consumer behaviors and collection motivations:
Classic Comics: Nostalgic Meets Contemporary
These traditional Bazooka Joe-style comics integrate athletes into the brand’s reimagined “Bazookaverse®,” maintaining the beloved humor and storytelling format while introducing modern sports personalities. For food and beverage managers looking to understand consumer engagement, this format demonstrates how legacy brands can honor their heritage while attracting new audiences.
“Talk Like a Pro” Series: Educational Entertainment
This format positions Bazooka Joe and athlete friends as educators, breaking down sports terminology and lingo in an entertaining comic style. This approach mirrors successful food and beverage trends where brands provide value beyond the product itself: similar to how craft beer companies educate consumers about brewing processes or specialty coffee brands teach about origin stories.
Player Portrait Collection: Premium Collectibles
Drawing inspiration from classic sports cards, these comic portraits serve as high-value collectibles. This strategy taps into the same psychological drivers that make limited-edition food and beverage releases so successful: scarcity, exclusivity, and collectible value.
Retail Distribution Strategy: Maximizing Market Penetration
The rollout demonstrates sophisticated food and beverage management across multiple retail channels and package formats:
Package Variety for Different Price Points:
- 10-count wallet packs (premium positioning)
- 6-count mini-wallet packs (trial/impulse purchase)
- 225-count tubs (bulk/family format)
Strategic Retail Partnerships:
- Mass retailers: Walmart, Dollar General
- Pharmacy chains: Walgreens
- Specialty discount: Five Below
- E-commerce: Amazon
- Additional nationwide retailers
This multi-tiered distribution approach ensures maximum market coverage while allowing different retail partners to position the product according to their customer demographics and shopping behaviors.
Digital Innovation: The Bazookaverse Experience
The brand’s digital strategy at www.bazookajoe.com/joe-x-pro represents forward-thinking engagement that many food and beverage companies could emulate. The platform allows fans to create personalized “Bazookafied” player cards, choosing featured athletes and customizing appearances with accessories and styles.
This digital extension serves multiple strategic purposes:
- Data Collection: Capturing consumer preferences and engagement patterns
- Social Amplification: Encouraging user-generated content sharing
- Brand Extension: Creating touchpoints beyond physical product consumption
- Community Building: Fostering ongoing relationships with brand loyalists
Contest Marketing and Consumer Incentives
The collaboration includes a comprehensive contest strategy where fans can submit comics for chances to win exclusive gear, pro-signed merchandise, and limited-edition collectible comic coloring books. This approach demonstrates how successful food and beverage marketing creates multiple engagement opportunities beyond the initial purchase.
The contest leverages social media channels (@TheRealBazookaJoe on Instagram and TikTok, @bazookabubblegum on Facebook) to amplify reach and encourage user-generated content using #dennysbigwaffle and related hashtags.
Industry Implications for Food and Beverage Brands
This collaboration offers several key insights for food and beverage industry professionals:
Celebrity Partnership Evolution
Moving beyond traditional endorsements to investor relationships creates deeper authenticity and longer-term commitment from celebrity partners. This model could be particularly effective for food and beverage companies seeking genuine brand ambassadorships.
Multi-Format Content Strategy
Bazooka’s three-comic approach demonstrates how brands can create varied content experiences within a single campaign, appealing to different consumer motivations while maintaining cohesive brand messaging.
Physical-Digital Integration
The seamless connection between physical collectibles and digital experiences shows how traditional food and beverage brands can modernize engagement without losing their core identity.
Retail Flexibility
The multiple package formats and retail channel strategy ensures broad market access while allowing different positioning strategies across various customer segments.
Looking Forward: Lessons for the Industry
As the food and beverage industry continues evolving toward more sophisticated consumer engagement, Bazooka Joe’s athlete collaboration demonstrates several critical success factors:
Authentic Partnerships: Moving beyond transactional celebrity relationships to genuine investment partnerships creates more credible and sustainable brand associations.
Heritage Innovation: Successfully modernizing classic brands requires respecting core identity while embracing contemporary trends and technologies.
Omnichannel Thinking: Effective campaigns seamlessly integrate physical products, digital experiences, social media engagement, and retail distribution.
Collection Psychology: Understanding and leveraging collectible culture can drive repeat purchases and create sustained consumer engagement beyond single transactions.
This collaboration represents more than a marketing campaign: it’s a blueprint for how established food and beverage brands can reinvent themselves for modern audiences while maintaining the authentic character that made them beloved in the first place. As the series rolls out through September and beyond, industry professionals will be watching closely to see how this innovative approach influences future celebrity partnerships and collector-focused marketing strategies across the food and beverage sector.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
