Crunch Time kicks off national football sweepstakes featuring SnapDragon apples
Crunch Time kicks off national football sweepstakes featuring SnapDragon apples
Crunch Time Apple Growers is kicking off a national consumer sweepstakes to promote its signature SnapDragon variety, sending a winner to Canton, OH, to attend Pro Football Hall of Fame events in 2026.
Crunch Time introduced the sweepstakes, Snap Your Way to Canton, at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show in mid-October in Anaheim, CA, with former Buffalo Bills wide receiver and Hall of Famer Andre Reed meeting with football fans on the expo floor.
SnapDragon is the official apple of the Buffalo Bills, and Crunch Time hands out samples at all home games. Jessica Wells, executive director of Crunch Time, said the sweepstakes is an exciting way to expand upon past SnapDragon promotions, getting retailers and customers involved directly.
The promotion goes live in December, and Wells said Crunch Time is focused on recruiting retailers.
“By participating, retailers can boost sales of apples during the winter months while also generating excitement among their shoppers,” she said. “What retailer wouldn’t want to be responsible for sending a shopper to football’s greatest weekend festivities at the Pro Football Hall of Fame?”
Reed will be featured on promotional materials at participating retailers, including signage, standees and tear-offs, to catch the eyes of consumers while they shop. Advertising and social media will also be used to spread the word. Wells said Crunch Time will work with retailers to develop custom plans, including enlisting hall of famers who played in their region.
The sweepstakes’ goal is to directly drive sales, reaching beyond Crunch Time’s Buffalo Bills partnership.
“While we may promote it at the games, we really intend for promotion to happen at retail, where consumers can purchase the SnapDragon apples, a requirement for entering online,” Wells said.
Social media will play a part in spreading the word, with Crunch Time/SnapDragon platforms directing fans to an entry portal. Those platforms will also document the winner’s trip to Canton and the activities surrounding the Hall of Fame events.
“We can’t wait to interact with fans and see all the ways they’re enjoying their SnapDragon apples as we collect entries,” Wells said.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 enshrinement and activities will be Aug. 6-9, 2026, and includes the Hall of Fame Game, a parade and concert. Crunch Time’s sweepstakes also includes an intimate dinner with the Hall of Fame inductees.
“For a football superfan, this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Wells said. “We think they’ll jump at the chance to spend a weekend enjoying football with some of the greats.”
As production of SnapDragons increases, the variety recently wrapped up its largest harvest yet — Crunch Time is expanding its availability throughout the country. Wells said there are more than 50 retailers in the Crunch Time portfolio.
“We really think that, to use a non-football pun, we knocked it out of the park with this one,” she said. “Shoppers are going to be so excited about this sweepstakes. While we’re partial to the Buffalo Bills, we have a presence throughout most of the country, and we know that every region, from Florida to Texas to California, has their own favorite football team.”
