Let Your Gr-r-reat Out campaign helps drive biggest sales lift in three years for Frosted Flakes

14-Sep-2016 - Last updated on 16-Sep-2016 at 18:21 GMT

Still from Kellogg's recent Let your Gr-r-reat Out 'skate park' ad slot

Sales of Frosted Flakes – the #1 US cereal brand targeted at kids – rose 4.3% year-on-year in the four weeks to August 13, 2016 (Nielsen data), the biggest bump over a four-week period for three years, as Kellogg’s new ‘Let Your Gr-r-reat Out’ campaign appeared to hit the spot with shoppers.

To put this into perspective, IRI data* shared with our sister site BakeryandSnacks.com reveals that sales of Frosted Flakes – along with many other leading ready-to-eat cereal brands – have been pretty lackluster of late, with dollar sales in the year to July 10, 2016 down 3.9%, and unit sales down 1.9%.

Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA as Kellogg unveiled a ‘newly-relevant’ animatronic Tony the Tiger in New York, associate director, brand marketing Christie Crouch said the campaign drew upon data showing that tweens (aged 9-12yrs) – core target consumers of Frosted Flakes – sometimes need a push to express themselves and tackle feelings of insecurity and self-conscious when with others.

Staying relevant

The first TV commercial in the campaign, which features Tony encouraging a young girl (who we later see is using a wheelchair – and is not an actress) to go to the skate park, aired in late July, and is all about empowering tweens to let their inner greatness shine, said Crouch.

Tony the Tiger's new look — The new lifesize, animatronic Tony the Tiger, which can engage in conversation, was developed with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop

New iterations of the campaign will also draw on research showing that more than two thirds of Dads – also big consumers of Frosted Flakes – wish they could connect more with their tween-age children, she added. “About 60% is consumed by children but 40% is consumed by adults, and particularly men.”

She added: “We’re really encouraged by the new campaign. Frosted Flakes continues to be the #1 kids cereal brand but it has been declining, and I think some of the other brands were just being a bit more relevant, so that’s what our challenge was - to stay fresh and relevant.”

While Tony the Tiger – who has been around since the 1950s - will continue to use his ‘They’re Gr-r-reat!’ catchphrase, he will have a broader role and vocabulary in future, acting as an encourager, said Crouch, while new packaging will start rolling out to stores in October.

Kellogg has also teamed up with actor, host, and dancer Alfonso Ribeiro to share the 'Let Your Gr-r-reat Out' message as part of the campaign, which was developed by Leo Burnett and Krispr, a division of Edelman, in partnership with Jim Henson Creature Shop.

* IRI data covering drugstores, mass-market retailers, gas/c-stores, military commissaries and select club and dollar chains in the year to July 10, 2016.