Dive Brief:

• Kellogg's Frosted Flakes has partnered with Twitch's Brand Partnership Studio to transform brand mascot Tony the Tiger into an interactive VTuber, per a press release. A Vtuber is an online entertainer who uses a computer-generated avatar to stream on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
• For his streaming debut, Tony the Tiger plans to play a popular battle royale game with Twitch streamers Brennon "GoldGlove" O'Neill, Chrissy Costanza and Jakeem "BigCheese" Johnson via the mascot's new Twitch channel. The broadcast runs Aug. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. ET
• The first-of-its-kind partnership sees the Kellogg brand tapping into the growing VTuber trend on Twitch and follows other efforts that have taken the longstanding mascot to nascent digital platforms like TikTok.

Dive Insight:

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is updating its iconic Tony the Tiger mascot for a new generation by tapping into several emerging trends and channels. Twitch averages more than 31 million daily visitors, per the release, and is a growing way for brands to engage with younger, digitally native consumers that are difficult to reach through traditional advertising.

"Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Tony the Tiger are always looking for ways to connect with lifelong fans and the next generation of cereal lovers, whether that's through releasing new fun flavors of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes or by showing up in new places," said Sadie Garcia, director of brand marketing at Kellogg All Family Cereal, in a statement.

The first-of-its-kind deal with Twitch's Brand Partnership Studio demonstrates the growing power of the Amazon-owned streaming platform as a marketing channel. In recent months, brands as diverse as Lexus, Denny's and Mondelēz's Sour Patch Kids have activated on Twitch. Amazon has continued to expand how brands can tap into the platform as part of its growing ad business.

Tony the Tiger’s initial livestream focuses on an unnamed battle royale game — a popular multiplayer genre that includes titles like Fortnite — and also taps into increased interest around VTubers. VTuber, short for virtual YouTuber, is a streamer that uses a computer-generated avatar. As the name suggests, the trend began on YouTube but has spread to other platforms, including Twitch, which saw VTubing-related content increase 467% year-over-year in 2021, per the press release. The livestream opens the opportunity for players to participate in chats and polls and also feature the mascot's custom gaming rig that runs on a brand-appropriate "milk-coolant PC."

Twitch is not the first platform where Tony the Tiger has appeared as part of Kellogg's digital efforts. The mascot recently made his debut on TikTok. A previous effort on Twitter backfired in ways that were not brand safe — a reminder of the challenges brands face when activating on emerging channels.