Cheez-It’s Couch Committee Turns College Football Debates Into a Brand Asset

The debate is the game

College football season brings as much off-field controversy as on-field action — roster violations, replay reviews and name, image and likeness deals. Cheez-It, now owned by Mars after its acquisition of Kellanova, built a campaign around that conversation. Created with BBDO New York, the Couch Committee is a group of armchair analysts debating the sport’s hot topics in 6-, 15- and 30-second spots that launched September 6 on TV, connected TV, online video and social. It’s a sports marketing campaign that turns conversation itself into a brand device.

How the campaign works

Characters and format

The committee mixes everyday fans with outsized characters: a coach, a bolo-tie-wearing big-money donor, an elderly player still in leatherhead gear and helmet-clad mascot Ched-Z. Each spot opens with a call to order and an overhead shot, then members use “In” or “Out” signs to rule comically on topics like ninth-year seniors, helmet stickers, moneyed donors and how to best eat the clock.

The couch is the brand asset

The set centers on a Cheez-It-shaped couch in cheddar-hued leather with personal snack holders and recliners. “As a brand marketer, it’s a gorgeous way for us to subtly introduce some of our key distinctive brand assets,” said Nicole Sorensen, vice president of marketing for Mars’ cracker brands.

Topics for avid and casual fans

“As a big brand, a billion-dollar brand, we have a wide audience,” Sorensen said, so topics must be interesting and authentic for avid fans without isolating casual ones. The guiding question: how to join the couch conversations before, during and after games — and tie that to getting product in hands and mouths.

A sponsorship built over years

Cheez-It has been an official College Football Playoff sponsor since the 2019–20 season, launched its “Feelin’ the Cheeziest” platform in 2022 and revived its Prince Cheddward mascot at a 2025 bowl game. This season also brought back its familiar “Pregame Speech” spot. Publicis agency Starcom handles media across ESPN, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. “Content is a piece of it, but placement is the other piece driving authenticity,” Sorensen said.

Lessons for marketers

• Own the conversation: the brand device is the fans’ debate format, not the sport itself.
• Build brand assets into the set: a product-shaped couch says more than a giant logo.
• Layer sponsorships over time: platform, mascot and recurring spots stack on a long-term deal.

For another take on the season, see how Coca-Cola is playing college football with creators, fantasy sports and a campus tour, and for recurring sports characters, Jersey Mike’s NFL campaign.