Dive Brief:

• General Mills has recruited Travis and Jason Kelce as co-creators of a new cereal, dubbed the Kelce Mix, which is being promoted via a multi-part content series, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The Kelce Mix combines the brothers’ favorite General Mills cereals, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms and Reese’s Puffs, in one box. In preparation for the release, the brothers attended “Cereal Training Camp,” a journey that will be showcased in TV and online ads.
• Additionally, limited-edition Kelces’ Pick collectible boxes will be available for cereals including Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms and Reese’s Puffs. The Kelce Mix and collectible boxes will be available at retailers nationwide beginning mid-September.

Dive Insight:

General Mills has struck a partnership with football-playing brothers Travis and Jason Kelce, the tight-end for the Kansas City Chiefs and now-retired center for the Philadelphia Eagles, respectively, for a well-timed effort that taps into the duo’s love of cereal. The brothers last year on their popular “New Heights” podcast ranked their favorite cereals, many of which are owned by General Mills.

Now, the duo is serving as co-creators of General Mills’ new Kelce Mix cereal. In preparation for the job, the brothers attended Cereal Training Camp where they participated in cereal-themed challenges to win the chance to create their special cereal and be featured on limited-edition Kelces’ Pick boxes. In advance of the cereal becoming available in September, consumers can watch footage from the training camp via a series of videos. The content will be featured in both TV and online ads, while more extensive footage and behind-the-scenes content will be available at a designated microsite.

Consumers can purchase the Kelce Mix cereal and limited-edition Kelce Picks boxes at retailers nationwide for $5.69 beginning in mid-September. Additionally, a limited-edition Walmart.com exclusive box will drop on Sept. 28 while supplies last. The tie-up with the football duo could help strengthen loyalty among both cereal fans and sports fans alike, particularly those who tune into the “New Heights” podcast. Marketing around sports has endured as a popular strategy among brands ranging from State Farm to Celsius to Coca-Cola.

The partnership from General Mills follows a number of other buzzy marketing plays by the CPG giant aimed at reaching a wider audience. For instance, Lucky Charms celebrated the return of its limited-edition Magic Gems cereal with the launch of a free augmented reality game called “Journey to the Magic Gems.” Similarly, Reese’s Puffs shared its vision for the future of breakfast with its first experiment in the metaverse along with a high-end fashion collaboration.

General Mills recently reported quarterly net sales totaling $4.7 billion, a year-over-year decrease of 6%, according to its fiscal Q4 2024 earnings report. For the full year, the marketer said net sales totaled $19.9 billion, a 1% decline from the year ago period.