Ruffles teams with NBA star Jayson Tatum for sneaker collaboration

Dive Brief:

Ruffles, a PepsiCo company, has partnered with Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum on an exclusive sneaker collaboration, per a news release. Ruffles has also released a new flavor, spicy dill pickle, as part of the promotion.
In order to enter for a chance to win the sneakers, consumers must purchase either the new flavor or Tatum’s signature flavor, Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ, and enter the code on the bag into a special website. Ruffles is currently the official chip of the NBA.
This collaboration not only takes advantage of Tatum's current celebrity as the Boston Celtics square off for the NBA Championship, but also allows Ruffles to collect valuable first-party data about consumers through sweepstakes entries.

Dive Insight:

Ruffles has long leaned into NBA marketing efforts to promote its “Own Your Ridges” campaign, which puts a focus on individuality and the chip’s distinct ridged look. The exclusive sneakers, which are decorated Air Jordan XXXVIs, also heavily feature ridges in the design, along with Ruffles’s color scheme of red, white and blue. All sneakers will be produced in Tatum’s size, a 15.

“Our Chip Deal athletes, like Jayson, embody our brand motto, owning their ridges in all aspects of life — and these shoes depict the boldness and playfulness that's become synonymous with owning your ridges," said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America, in a press release.

The collaboration also allows the brand to meet consumers at the intersection of basketball and sneaker culture, Taffet explained. Brands as diverse as Lexus and Chips Ahoy have tapped into so-called “sneakerhead” culture as a way to engage with younger consumers.

The sweepstakes also allows Ruffles to collect first-party data on purchasers, an especially valuable resource as advertisers plan for the depreciation of third-party cookies. Additionally, it continues to build on and strength its partnership with the NBA: The collaboration with Tatum follows a December campaign featuring NBA superstar LeBron James.