Sonic Puts Edible College Football Logos on Hamburger Buns

College football logos will appear on hamburger buns at Sonic Drive-In. They have deals with universities in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.

The Oklahoma City-based company has a burger called the “Sooner and Cowboy Burger” after Oklahoma State University and University of Oklahoma. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s burger is called the “Ragin’ Cajun Bulldog Burger” and has spicy Tabasco mayo and pepper jack cheese.

The company hopes to make a name for themselves in these regions since they rely on regional sales. From USA Today:

“We’re a gathering spot in many smaller communities,” explains James O’Reilly, chief marketing officer at Sonic, which has 3,500 locations in 44 states. “This will generate a lot of buzz.”

O’Reilly explains how the stamp is made:

The stamp is made with tapioca starch and up to three USDA-approved food colorings. The logos are steamed onto the buns from wax paper just before the burgers are served. The steaming adds several seconds to the cooking process, O’Reilly says.

Also, the college football stamps add upwards of a dime to the price of each burger because Sonic pays both licensing and royalty fees to the universities, O’Reilly says.

Consumers who don’t like food coloring can request the burgers without the logos — but still will pay the same price. (About $3.99 to $4.99, depending on the market.) The limited-time promo should be available for up to three months after rollout.

Sonic tested it in Louisiana and it did very well. O’Reilly stated if it continues to do well in these areas they will add pro teams.

photo credit: Sonic