How Sour Patch Kids Scored a Sweet Win in March Adness 2022

It was a moment so epic, only a kid could do it—a Sour Patch Kid, that is. This past weekend, the Mondelēz-owned brand scored a massive win over Apple in the championship round of March Adness 2022. This journey was no easy feat. Last year, the brand scored a surprise first-round win over two-time winner Aviation Gin and proceeded to race through the bracket before it was knocked out by McDonald’s in the Elite Eight. But nothing could stop Sour Patch this year, as the brand breezed through battles against Coca-Cola and Planters, then managed a very narrow win over Taco Bell before handily defeating Disney+ in the Elite Eight. https://twitter.com/SourPatchKids/status/1506647558290038789 All bets were off when Final Four regular and 2020 Reader’s Choice Ad of the Year winner Oreo—another Mondelēz brand with a daunting follower count and some impressive ad history—took the stage. By a margin of only 51 points, Sour Patch Kids clinched it before heading into the most decisive championship round this bracket has ever seen. “I truly wasn’t expecting us to win, so going into every round became even funnier,” said 360i social strategist Shelby Jacobs, who Adweek already knows as the commander-in-chief of the Sour Patch legions. “There are some pretty giant brands that participate in this, so it’s awesome to see the little kid win.” https://twitter.com/SourPatchKids/status/1508097182557159430 Jacobs said an Adness victory largely depends on how actively the brands engage and activate their fans during the tournament—but that’s not all it takes. “The real work happens outside of the two weeks in March,” she said. “Building those one-on-one, genuine relationships throughout the year and making your fans (and other brands) feel special on a regular day just by having a conversation with them goes a long way when you need their help.” https://twitter.com/DaksAhoy/status/1508858526772326400 Her other key takeaway: Don’t take it too seriously, and have fun—both during the tournament and beyond. “Fans are well aware that brands are marketing to them, but not everything has to be ‘buy this buy this buy this,’” she said. “In fact, it’s the content that has less of a heavy emphasis on encouraging people to buy something that I see more ‘I’m going to buy some right now.’” And aside from the fans, Jacobs attributed the win to Mondelēz’s trust in 360i, and the teamwork it takes to create engaging content every day. Jacobs promised fans a new product if the brand made it all the way, but exactly what that will be remains to be seen. UPDATE: And the brand delivered! Look out for Sour Patch Kids Cola Bubbles in the future. https://twitter.com/SourPatchKids/status/1511011978101280775 Another highlight of the tournament was a wealth of entertaining and pop culture-centric illustrations by multi-hyphenate creative Dakota Snow—with SPK as the recurring hero, of course. Check out a Q&A about his process here. How Mondelēz International Built TikTok’s Biggest Snack Brands