UNC Pop-Tarts will debut in Student Stores on Sept. 1

On-the-go snacking will be charged with school spirit, thanks to a limited edition UNC Pop-Tart that will be released Sept. 1.

The mixed berry-flavored pastries will be available in regional Walmarts and college book stores exclusively, said John Gorsuch, director of Student Stores.

Derek Lochbaum, director of trademarks and licensing at UNC, said Kellogg’s approached UNC with plans to sell Pop-Tarts featuring the UNC symbol as part of a new national campaign.

“It’s a one-time limited edition for the back-to-school time frame,” Lochbaum said. “I think it will be well-received.”

Michigan State University, Florida State University, the University of Arkansas and the University of Georgia are also included in the campaign.

Sophomore Julie Brown said she thinks Kellogg’s picked UNC for its fan base.

“They chose us because Carolina fans are the most school spirited, and they’re going to sell the most — it’s all about money, and Duke fans are above eating Pop-Tarts.”

UNC will collect royalties from the sales per licensing regulations, Lochbaum said.

He said Kellogg’s is also looking into distributing the Pop-Tarts at local grocery stores.

Gorsuch said he expects the new Pop-Tart to sell because of the timely release date.

“I think it will sell well, and we’re getting it in before football season comes, so we might get alums buying it,” he said.

“I’ll be interested myself to see what happens when you bite into it,” Gorsuch said.

But he added that Pop-Tarts’ shelf life is about a year, in case they don’t end up being as popular as expected.

Junior Ian Porter said merging the two brands shows how relevant the University is in the national eye — but doesn’t think he will be a frequent customer.

“I would definitely buy them once, but I wouldn’t say I would get them every time,” he said.

“It would be kind of cool to munch on that UNC Pop-Tart and take a picture of it.”

Brown said the limited edition aspect of the Pop-Tarts will make them more popular.

“You know how limited edition things get more valuable over time — it would be a good investment,” Brown said. “They could be a hot commodity one day.”

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