Dive Brief:

• Kellogg's Froot Loops and clothing brand Awaytomars this week unveiled their collaborative clothing and accessories line inspired by the aesthetics of the cereal brand, including mascot Toucan Sam and its new Wild Berry Froot Loops variant, per a news release. 
• About 700 designers participated in Awaytomars' co-creation model to create hats, T-shirts, sneakers, a hoodie, a jacket and a dress. Items retail between $30 to $185, and the unisex, limited-edition collection debuted at a trunk show at the Kellogg's NYC Café. 
• The Awaytomars/Froot Loops collection is being introduced as a preview for the retailer's spring/summer 2019 collection. Consumers can shop the collection online, and a limited number of itemsare available at the cereal café. 

Dive Insight:

Froot Loops first announced the partnership with Awaytomars in May as an extension of its "Whatever Froots Your Loops" campaign supporting Wild Berry Froot Loops, the cereal's first new flavor in 10 years. While plenty of brands have experimented with co-branded merchandise and capsule collections, Kellogg's partnership runs a bit deeper, tying into both its own NYC Café and helping to support Awaytomars' latest seasonal clothing line.   

Kellogg's has quickly capitalized on the popularity of its NYC Café, which opened in Manhattan's Union Square neighborhood last year after a successful stint with a similar retail concept in Times Square. The snacks and cereal marketer has used the space to play off closely watched events, including this summer's World Cup soccer tournament and the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The currnet collection also follows Froot Loops' prior collaboration with Neff Headwear on a line of colorful sunglasses with interchangeable faceplates and arms. 

Partnering with popular fashion designers, retailers or influencers can help brands broaden their appeal and extend the reach of their campaigns. For example, Mars candy brand Starburst earlier this year teamed up with "Project Runway" winner Erin Robertson on a line of merchandise inspired by the "I am a pink Starburst" meme that included denim jackets, neon signs and more.

Cereal brands like Froot Loops are potentially turning to trendier partnerships as they look to court younger generations that are eating cereal less. Cereal sales dropped 2.3% from December 2016 to December 2017, with Post being the sole major player in the category to see gains. Overall cereal sales slid 17% from 2009 to 2016.