Dive Brief:

• Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats is continuing an inclusivity-minded campaign featuring customizable packaging. This year, the snack brand is partnering with Autism Speaks to provide sensory "Love Notes" to place in lunchboxes for kids with autism, the company revealed in a press release.
• The heart-shaped stickers come in various textures, including fleece, faux fur, satin and velour, designed for kids that respond to tactile experiences. The stickers can be placed on individual Rice Krispies packages, which feature a blank heart in the center to fit the sticker and leave a personalized message. Parents can order the free stickers while supplies last at a microsite.
• Kellogg is highlighting the stories of some of kids with autism who inspired the program, which debuts during back-to-school season. In a YouTube video, parents explain how their child is nervous about transitioning into a public kindergarten, but is calmed by some of the textures and messages featured on the Love Notes. Rice Krispies is encouraging people to use the hashtag #SoMuchToLove to extend the campaign's message on social media.

Dive Insight:

Rice Krispies continues to introduce packaging decisions that cater to children with disabilities, while linking those efforts to the key back-to-school season when parents are stocking up on goods like snacks.

Last year, the brand worked with the National Federation of the Blind to create similar Love Notes in the form of Braille stickers, which came with re-recordable audio boxes so kids with blindness or low vision could hear their parents' personalized audio messages.

This year, the brand expands the inclusivity-minded approach with special textured stickers that could help calm kids with autism who are nervous about settling into the new school year, while positioning Rice Krispies as a welcoming brand in parents' minds.

Other snack brands have turned to packaging innovation and similar cause-led initiatives to stand out during a crowded back-to-school period that this year is expected to command $27.8 billion in consumer spending.

PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division has similarly jumped on the idea of customizable notes, adding space for "Snackable Notes" to its packaging. The marketer's effort this summer includes an online element where every submission at a dedicated microsite triggers a donation to Feed the Children.

Rice Krispies glommed onto the notes concept in 2017 to industry acclaim. At the time, the brand was losing market share among parents as a go-to lunchtime snack, so it turned to agency Leo Burnett to identify ways to connect with parents, as detailed in a case study.

The duo used Google Analytics to identify a connection between the keywords "school snacks" and "lunchbox notes," which resulted in melding the two concepts together. The effort won a gold ARF Ogilvy Award the following year, and Rice Krispies reported a large lift in brand equity.