Healthy Cereals Are Here To Put The Fun Back In Breakfast

Tony the Tiger and his fellow cereal mascots—from Toucan Sam to Cap'n Crunch—once ruled the breakfast table. Through decades of savvy marketing, the brands represented by these characters cemented themselves in kitchens, pop culture and childhood memories. More recently, however, some of those breakfast mainstays have lost their sheen as health advocates warn of the high sugar content in many popular cereals. The U.K. government is also considering legislation that would restrict the marketing of food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) to young people—with more regulation potentially to come across Europe—forcing food manufacturers such as Kellogg's and Nestlé to remake their cereals. This coincides with a global trend of consumers trying to buy healthier foods since the pandemic's start, according to a 2022 survey from market research firm YouGov. As consumers become more health conscious, there is an appetite for cereal innovators, as evidenced by the success of New York-based brand Magic Spoon. Founded in 2019, Magic Spoon—which launched in Target this year, counts Amy Schumer and Nas among its investors, and has gained a cult-like following among millennials—is gluten-free, high protein and low sugar. However, its marketing eschews the staid messaging typically associated with healthier foods. Its tagline, “Childlike cereal for grown-ups,” and colorful, ’90-inspired packaging design harks back to the brands that appealed to many in their youth. In the U.K. and Europe, startups including Surreal, Crispy Fantasy and Brave are taking a leaf out of Magic Spoon’s marketing playbook. As consumers' food buying habits shift, these brands are balancing health claims with the fun and nostalgia that made cereal a cultural fixture. "We wanted to bring the energy and personality from the cereals of our childhood, but do it with nutrition you can feel good about," said Surreal co-founder Kit Gammell. "We think fun and health shouldn't be mutually exclusive." Health with personality Surreal was founded in 2021 by two former employees of coconut water brand Vita Coco, Gammell and Jac Chetland, who wanted to create a healthier cereal that maintained the “fun, flavor and personality” of the brands they loved as children, Gammell said. “As adults, where health becomes a bigger concern, all that fun, flavor and personality of cereal is lost." Surreal's marketing taps into childhood nostalgia through bright packaging, a mascot with a grinning cereal bowl for a mouth, and entertainment and prizes such as cut-out mustaches and pet pictures. It recently ran billboards in the U.K. with lines including, “Don’t tell Tony” and “Coco’s got competition,” referencing the likes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Coco Pops. Surreal Though Surreal may be the David to Kellogg’s Goliath, it is an opportune time for the brand and its peers to enter the market ahead of a crackdown on HFSS food advertising. As evidence of the threat to the cereal giants, Kellogg’s sued the U.K. government this year over rules that would restrict it from promoting sugary cereals in supermarket special offers, but lost the case. Wooing the disillusioned Andrea Rodrik, co-founder of European cereal brand Crispy Fantasy, said the brand is trying to win back disillusioned adult consumers through candid posts on social platforms such as TikTok, where it has amassed more than 69,000 followers, and by positioning itself as a product that “gives you the indulgence, satisfaction and memories of cereal but without the guilt involved." In August, plant-based snack brand Brave ventured into cereal with a new product called Super Hoops, which is made from sustainable ingredients such as peas and chickpeas instead of grains. Rather than employing cartoon mascots or games on boxes, it promotes its purpose—sustainability—with a statement on its boxes: "Fight unsustainable farming practices." Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Some mainstream cereals are branching out from their typical marketing playbooks to win over a new generation of customers amid the upstart competition. Kellogg’s brought Tony the Tiger to Twitch in a livestreamed battle royale game that saw the Frosted Flakes mascot go head-to-head with Twitch streamers. Post Consumer Brands' Pebbles cereal solicited artwork from kids and turned it into murals in U.S. cities including Denver, Los Angeles and New York. General Mills’ Lucky Charms has struck up unusual partnerships with brands such as Crocs footwear, Swiss Miss, Marvel and Morphe Cosmetics. For these newer cereals to usurp Tony the Tiger in the grocery cart, one of the biggest barriers may be price, as consumers face the crunch from inflation and rising energy bills. These cereal startups, and health food generally, tend to be more expensive than mainstream brands. Amid these challenges, cereal brands will have to rely more than ever on creative marketing, said Simon Gregory, joint chief strategy officer of BBH London, which works with legacy U.K. cereal brand Weetabix. “It needs to be more fun,” Gregory said. “Otherwise, it’s going to be cereal without the milk and pretty dry.”

Food Industry News

A New Wave of Healthy Cereal Brands Try to Put the Fun Back in Breakfast

Startup offerings are drawing on childhood nostalgia to win back disillusioned consumers

Brittaney Kiefer

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Brittaney Kiefer