Cricket Wireless exists to inspire smiles one meaningful connection at a time. As presenting sponsor of the Cricket Celebration Bowl for the last five years, we saw an opportunity that most bowl sponsors miss. College bowl games are more about the game and final score, and the opportunity is more than just slapping a logo across it.
When you walk into Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Cricket Celebration Bowl, you see it and feel it. The game is the national championship for HBCU football, but it's also a family homecoming for HBCUs - alumni reconnecting with classmates and parents introducing their kids to traditions they grew up with. Generations of the HBCU community come together in Atlanta with an energy and warmth that make everyone feel like they belong.
And at the center of it all are the marching bands. They're more than just halftime entertainment; they’re the heartbeat of the HBCU community. They practice all year for this moment, and they show up to put on a show that rivals anything happening on the field. They're deserving of the same level of recognition as the players competing in the game.
Our objective: Honor the people and traditions that make the Cricket Celebration Bowl unlike any other bowl game by giving HBCU marching bands a bigger spotlight, one that they have earned.
The Challenge
We wanted Cricket to have a more meaningful impact. But NCAA regulations meant we couldn't disrupt gameplay. And we would need to coordinate with ESPN and participating HBCU bands on how we show up which added to the complexity of our task. And our budget? Just $50,000.
The Insight
At HBCU football games, one person commands 70,000 fans IRL and 2.3M at home before the quarterback ever touches the ball: the drum major. And one object holds all that power: the drum major’s mace. The baton that orchestrates every move of the marching band.
The Build
The mace is the ceremonial baton the drum major uses to command the band. It’s a symbol of authority, tradition, and artistic expression.
So, we built the world’s most powerful mace. We gave it a 360-degree camera, LEDs, and powered it with Cricket 5G network for real-time streaming without lag, bringing fans inside the action of the Celebration Bowl.
But tech specs mean nothing if it doesn't feel authentic. For that, we brought in Isaac Williams, a former HBCU drum major turned coach and influencer, to consult on the design and introduce Cricket's mace to the community.
The Approach
How the Community Responded
"Wish I could be a 5G Mace"
"Yesss! Thanks for Hosting!!!"
“😮👀”
“Oh this is gonna be good!🥁🎵”
“Can’t wait!!🤭🤭”
“Let’s gooooooooo 🔥🔥🔥🔥”
“Awesome way to capture all the action!”
“This is fireee 💚🔥”
“So fresh and so clean👏”
“Okayyyyyyy🔥🔥👏👏”
“Digging this! 🔥”
“🔥aMACEing🔥 can’t wait to see what’s next!👏”
“I want one!!!🔥”
“Different!!🔥”
“Imma need that mace, and I’m not in band anymore.”
“Soooooooo insane🔥”
“🔥🔥🔥🔥 cricket x HBCU = THE DREAM TEAM”
The Cricket Celebration bowl became something fans wanted to be part of, not just something they watched.
The community showed up, and the numbers prove it.
Engagement exploded.
+80% increase in engagements year-over-year
+109% increase in video views, reaching 1.1 million views across platforms.
Shares jumped + 35% YoY, with fans actively spreading content to their own communities.
The audience grew.
We added 3,300 new followers. A +270% increase over the previous year -signaling that this wasn't just a moment, but the start of an ongoing relationship with the HBCU community.
Cultural impact. The campaign generated over 750,000 earned media impressions.
Historically Black Since highlighted how Cricket's activation "authentically honored HBCU traditions by centering student culture, marching bands, and on-campus energy". Proof that the community recognized this as genuine, not performative.
ABC News Live featured Isaac Williams discussing the HBCU community's excitement, reaching approximately 300,000 viewers.
The game itself hit a high-water mark. ESPN viewership increased 12% year-over-year, reaching 2.3 million broadcast viewers. The highest audience since 2022.
27,000 fans attended in person, and Cricket's presence was visible at every major moment: coin toss, halftime, trophy ceremony.
And the sentiment? 99% positive.
Creators responded to Cricket's real-time engagement with gratitude and excitement and the Cricket 5G Mace became something the community wanted to claim as their own.
