Tony the Tiger aims at millennial guys

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes have fuelled Canadian kids for decades, but this fall the company is targeting a new group.

Frosted Flakes is launching its first digital-only advertising campaign aimed at winning the stomachs of millennial men.

The new campaign features a spot called “The Jinx”. It features Tony the Tiger hanging out with a couple of guys on a well-worn couch to watch sports and eat Frosted Flakes. They refuse to let their friend into the room, in fear that he'll jinx the game.

The first video was released on YouTube on Sept. 19. It's being used on sports properties such as TSN, Sportsnet and the Sportsnet mobile app (Sportsnet and Canadian Grocer are owned by Rogers Media). The video is also being promoted through Twitter Amplify.

Kellogg also recognizes that during games, millennial guys may be watching on multiple screens, from their phone to TV.

“They may be tweeting, following the website or score on another device. We pulled that all together and that is how we came to this spot and the campaign that follows behind it.”





Cereal companies like Kellogg have been trying to boost cereal sales in recent years as consumers turn to other breakfast foods, such as yogurt.

“Millennials may be eating less cereal at breakfast, but they are still eating a fair amount cereal during other parts of the day," said Chris Bell, VP of marketing at Kellogg’s Canada.

Kellogg’s research found that Canadians eat about 27% of their cereal outside of breakfast.

But do millennial guys actually eat cereal when they watch sports? “We are encouraging them to,” said Bell. “We think there is a natural opportunity for the two to be more closely tied.”

Bell said viewers can expect a new Frosted Flakes spot to be released shortly, along with a number of videos showing people in sports-inspired scenarios.