Eastern Maine Sports

AUGUSTA, Maine – Ignite Snacks, a New Hampshire-based company that produces Ignite Bars, protein bars has signed 11 NIL partnerships with high school and college athletes from across the country from Maine to California. The list includes 2023 Miss Hockey, Ella Boerger from the University of St. Thomas women’s ice hockey team, Katelyn Lehigh from the Fresno State women’s golf team and Maddie Niles, a high school field hockey player from Maine who has committed to play field hockey at Merrimack College.

“I am excited to partner with Ignite Snacks because their protein bars taste really good and they are easy to grab on the way to class, before a game or after a workout. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to helping their brand continue to grow in the hockey world,” said Ella Boerger, sophomore at the University of St. Thomas.

The company made the announcement as they continue to grow their name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership program with athletes and more brand ambassadors. The 11 NIL partnerships were brokered by Pliable, a marketing company and NIL agency that helps high school, college and professional athletes build their athlete brand.

Pictured: 2023 Miss Hockey, Ella Boerger holds and Ignite Bar, a protein bar made by Ignite Snacks. Photo courtesy: Pliable Marketing

Athletes who have signed NIL agreements with Ignite Snacks promote Ignite Bars, a keto-friendly protein bar available in four flavors, including Blueberry Vanilla, Caramel Almond Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Crunch. The company wanted to work with high school and college athletes because those athletes are always looking for healthy eating options on the go.

Each Pliable athlete decides to use Instagram, TikTok or Facebook to promote the brand in photos and videos on their social media accounts. Customers can also use a promo code provided by each athlete to save 10% on their purchase.

Pictured: Maddie Niles, senior field hockey player at Lawrence High School who will play at Merrimack College next season.

The Team Ignite athletes are:

Ella Boerger, Ice Hockey, University of St. Thomas

Madison Brown, Ice Hockey, University of St. Thomas

Alyssa Bourque, Track & Field, University of Vermont

Sophia Gibson, Basketball, Notre Dame Academy

Logan Hale, Golf, Denver University

Alana LaCourse, Skiing, Gould Academy

Katelyn Lehigh, Golf, Fresno State University

Drew McMillen, Track & Field, Sacred Heart University

Maddie Niles, Field Hockey, Lawrence High School

Cara Sajevic, Ice Hockey, University of St. Thomas

Katie Shanahan, Field Hockey, Quinnipiac University

“We are thrilled to partner with Ella and all the amazing list of Pliable athletes who have joined Team Ignite. They have already started creating some amazing content. We are excited about how the athletes will continue to help us spread the word about our products and our mission. We see NIL as the next phase on influencer marketing and we are so happy to support athletes in this creative way,” said Nicole Zohdi, founder & CEO of Ignite Snacks.

Boerger is from Andover, Minnesota and was named Miss Hockey in 2023. The annual award is sponsored by Let’s Play Hockey and is given to the best female senior high school hockey player in the state of Minnesota.

Boerger along with the list of 10 other athletes have signed with Pliable Marketing for NIL representation. They worked directly with Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable to create content and promote the protein bars and the Ignite brand as part of the athlete’s NIL partnership with the company.

“This relationship was created because Nicole and Adam from Ignite Snacks saw an opportunity to break the mold not only with how good a protein bar can taste, but also how to market that to their target audience. I knew several Pliable athletes would jump at the chance to enjoy the quality and taste of the bars. As athletes, they are always looking for new ways to eat healthy and stay ahead of their competition and Ignite Bars help them with both those things. I am grateful for the continued partnership with Nicole and her team, they are innovators. It won’t be long before other companies start to realize how name, image and likeness opportunities can play an important role in a company’s marketing strategy,” said Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable Marketing.

Based in Augusta, Maine, Pliable represents more than 35 high school, college and professional athletes across the country. The NIL agency has helped create more than 100 NIL partnerships for Pliable athletes. To see the full list of Pliable athletes, visit PliableMarketing.com/pliable-athletes.