Saturday morning cartoons, juice boxes, and breakfast cereal are the holy trinity of a wholesome childhood. Across generations, so many of us have warm memories of starting our favorite day of the week with a big bowl of cereal: something colorful with a cartoon character in the box and probably some marshmallows. If your parents were really indulging (or just not paying attention), you could make an unholy mess digging through the content of the cereal box to unearth the treasure inside: the toy.
Over the years, some of these classic toys have even become collectibles. Some of them were licensed toys from popular kids' franchises like Disney (DIS) or Hasbro's (HAS) G.I. Joe. Others featured popular pop culture figures like Mr. T. But the cereal itself usually had a beloved mascot that often became inspiration for the coveted toy at the bottom of the box.
Now that we're grown up -- well, gotten older anyway -- looking back on the days of collectible cereal bowls, toys, color-changing spoons, and other fun cereal-swag are sure to drum up those old feelings of childlike wonderment. In fact, Target (TGT) recently released a series of kids' cereal-scented candles to help you fold those feelings of nostalgia into your home aesthetic. And now that fall is here, fans of Halloween have already got the classic Count Chocula, Frankenberry, and Boo-Berry cereal flavors on the brain.
General Mills (GIS) owns some of the most iconic childhood cereal brands. Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Lucky Charms all conjure up memories of cartoon mascots, rabbits and cheery bumble bees helping you usher in a day spent playing on monkey bars, sidewalk chalk, and ringing the bell on your bicycle.
For collectors, your favorite kids' cereal can be a really fun treat to drum up memories of your childhood -- maybe you even share it with your kids! But try not to snatch the box from your own kiddos when you hear about the newest prize General Mills has hidden in new specially marked cereal boxes.
General Mills Cereal Squad is Bringing Back the '90s
Starting in September, breakfast lovers can expect to find collectible figures of classic cereal mascots at the bottom of select boxes of kids' breakfast cereals. The figures are a tribute to their popularity in the 1990s, and will be sporting those fashion styles.
Fans of classic General Mills cereal brands will be able to once again dig through the box's contents with gusto. And they'll come away with one of the company's most beloved characters: Buzz the Bee, Lucky the Leprechaun, Sonny the Cuckoo Bird, Chip the Wolf, or Trix the Rabbit (finally, someone gave that poor rabbit some cereal!) The Cinnamojis, while a fairly modern concept, will also be up for grabs -- and also dressed for '90s nostalgia.
Tapping Into Nostalgia
General Mills has been one of a countless number of companies coping with supply chain issues in a post-pandemic economy. Inflation has also affected the company, pushing customers to prioritize off-brand substitutions over the higher-priced original alternatives.
Offering unique prizes that tap into a consumer's emotional associations with the product could motivate buyers to spend the extra change to bring home the real deal. If the company's better-than-expected Q4 earnings are any indicator, customers may still feel pull toward the company's iconic brands across the market.
