Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty
Normani is the face of Cracker Jack’s new female-forward campaign, Cracker Jill.
The beloved ballgame snack brand is highlighting female athletes in various sports who’ve inspired other women and girls through their accomplishments.
“As a brand that has celebrated sports for over a century, Cracker Jack is proud to support the girls and women who are changing the face of the game,” said Frito Lay, before describing Cracker Jill as “a new face to show girls and women they’re represented even on our most storied snacks.”
According to Normani, being the face of the campaign is a way of living out her childhood dreams of being a sports star.
“I was in gymnastics since I was 4, and I wanted to go to the Olympics,” the “Wild Side” singer told PEOPLE.
While she later became more passionate about dance, Normani explained that seeing the success of women of color in sports has continuously inspired her to persevere.
“There’s a gymnast named Dominique Dawes that dominated in the Olympic Games,” the 25-year-old former Fifth Harmony singer said. “She really, really inspired me and made me believe I could’ve gone to the Olympics and been as successful as she was. She carried herself with such poise and grace. She was beautiful, and she looked like me, and that’s everything Cracker Jill represents.”
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In honor of her partnership with Cracker Jill and the snack’s launch, Normani also dished out a new take on “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” that’s been altered to empower young girls and women in sports.
“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jill / No one can stop you if you have the will / So let’s root, root, root for our girl’s dream,” she sings on a pitcher’s mound in the Cracker Jill commercial, released on Wednesday. “We’re adding our face to the game / And we’ll run, throw, with never a doubt / It’s a new ball game.”
“[‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ is] iconic as-is, so as you can imagine, going into it, yes, I was a little nervous,” Normani said of switching up the song’s lyrics. “But also, I felt comfort in the brand really giving me the reins to do whatever I wanted to do… There’s a little bit of that Normani flare in it, for sure.”
Listen to Normani’s version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” below.
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