72andSunny’s First Cheerios Ad Is a Whole Lot Wilder Than What Saatchi Used to Make

Like Monty Python before it, Cheerios thinks you should always look on the bright side. A new campaign for America's top-selling cereal is a frenzy of color, music and humanity. The whirlwind blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot quite literally uses everything, and at least one kitchen sink, to position the famous oat rings as central to that circle we call life. Who knew playing with your food could be so contagious? [kickout id="1"] This anthem spot is the first ad that 72andSunny has produced for the brand since winning a larger General Mills creative review late last year. It marks a big departure from the work of former Cheerios agency Saatchi & Saatchi, which often focused on quiet family moments. A 2013 spot titled "Just Checking," which starred an interracial couple and their daughter, famously went viral after inspiring a wave of racist comments from trolls on Reddit and YouTube. The brand later brought back the same family for its 2014 Super Bowl ad. The new ad doesn't just trace the evolution of a Cheerio from grain seed to prop. It also features a diverse array of Americans enjoying moments spent in the company of other people. Driving the action are the musical stylings of Latrell James, a Dorchester, Mass., performing artist who told the Boston Globe this week, "I never even thought I’d be doing a commercial. And who would think I’d be part of such a major campaign on my first attempt?" James and a collaborator completed the defiantly upbeat track in one take, which seems appropriate, given the ad's focus on spontaneous moments of pure joy. CREDITS Client: Cheerios Agency: 72andSunny Campaign: Good Goes Round General Mills President, U.S. Retail Cereal: Dana McNabb Business Unit Director: Susanne Prucha Sr. Marketing Manager: Caio Correa Creative Production Manager: Alexander Colvin Executive Producer: Cheryl Broussard 72andSunny Creative Co-Chair: Glenn Cole Executive Creative Directors: Guillermo Vega & Bryan Rowles Creative Directors: Matthew Carey & Wei Wei Dong Creative Technologist: Tim Grover Writer: Ben Wiley Designer: Brandon Mai Sr. Designer: Jordan Young Head of Production: Lora Schulson Executive Producer: Kerli Teo Senior Producer: Ryan Chong Production Coordinator: Emma Ogiens Group Brand Director: Rachel Kornafel Brand Director: Brittni Hutchins Senior Brand Manager: Jessica Baker Brand Manager: Dylan Levy Brand Coordinator: Jena Verlin Group Strategy Director: Anibal Casso Senior Strategist: Anneliese Rapp Strategist: Carol Chan Partnerships & Legal Director: Denise Heyward Partnerships & Legal Manager: Marissa Burnett Junior Partnerships & Legal Manager: Pamala Billman Production: Iconoclast Directors: We Are From LA Managing Director: Charles-Marie Anthonioz Executive Producer: Valerie Romer Producer: Carolyn Pham DP: Greig Fraser Editorial: Lost Planet NY Editor: Bruce Herrman Assistant Editor: Kenji Yamauchi Executive Producer: Krystn Wagenberg Producer: Samara Kelly VFX & Design: The Mill Executive Producer: Rachael Trillo, Thomas Gibson, Elizabeth Newman Senior Producer: Abi Klimaszewska Producer: Anica Douglass Production Coordinator: Zack Francoise Creative Director: Clarice Chin Shoot Supervisor: Antoine Douadi Art Director: Helen Hsu Design & Animation: Justin Demetrician, Kyle Moore 2D Lead Artist: Antoine Douadi 3D Lead Artist: Laurent Giaume 2D Artists: Taner Besen, Sungeun Moon, Kyle Zemborain 3D Artists: Emily Meger, John Wilson, Anton Lerin, Sandor Toledo Colour: The Mill Colour Producer: Evan Bauer Colour Coordinator: Elizabeth Nagle Colourist: Josh Bohoskey Color Assist: Nate Seymour, Zack Wilpon, Daniel Moisoff, Aysha Mazumdar-Stanger Mix: Heard City Audio Mixer - Eric Warzecha / Evan Mangiamele Audio Producer - Andi Lewis Audio EP - Sasha Awn Music: Brew House Music / Gratitude Sound Vocalist: Boyd Latrell Jaimz