Cereal Killers

We all know that “Secret” is just for women, and “Irish Spring” is a “manly soap,” but that you (lasses) “can like it too.” But now Wheaties is doing them one better and rebranding itself as Wheaties “Fuel.”--the manly cereal. Yes, its packaging looks like “Axe” or “Tag,” those super-stinky body washes for tween males, but if five hunky athletes in tight tees set against a dramatic black background doesn’t grab your attention in the techni-colored world of the cereal aisle, then you might as well resign yourself to a rocking chair.

Out with yesterday’s newspapers, Wheaties, which used to use the 1933 tagline “The Breakfast of Champions," has re-emerged with the declarative, three-word, direct tagline: “Fuel. Win. Evolve."

The new product was created with the guidance of a sports nutritionist and five athletes, including Colts quarterback Peyton Manning; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett; Albert Pujols, first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals; Bryan Clay, a decathlon gold medalist; and Hunter Kemper, a triathlete. But are athletes any good in the kitchen? Okay, I might like Peyton Manning making me breakfast in bed (there I admit it!).

"Fuel" is being marketed specifically to men, using a variety of samplings given out at sporting events and samples promoted in Men's Health magazine to get the word out. The updated cereal was honed down to a top three to undergo final analysis. So far the changes in the actual product are minimal, less folic acid (too feminine) and more vitamin E. And how about more sugar (quick energy)--Wheaties was a basic wheat flake, whereas Fuel is much sweeter than the original. Fuel will not include snips and snails and puppy dog tails. The new-and-improved Wheaties will hit supermarket aisles in January 2010.

(Original) Wheaties, which has a 60% male customer base already, has never been male-exclusive in its marketing--its box has featured female athletes many times, but it may have found an approach with legs this time, catering just to guys.

In today’s uncertain times, guys need all the reassurance they can find. So not surprisingly, the cereal and the marketing are centered around the idea of “performance” and performance enhancement. While testosterone and Viagra may not be in the mix, it is suggested in the advertising. This cereal is so masculine looking that the cereal bowl doesn’t even have a spoon. After all, cave men eat their cereal right from the bowl, like Labradors. 

--Ron Knoth, Guest Blogger

Factoid: Wheaties (the original) was invented accidentally when a health clinician in Minneapolis, who was simmering bran gruel for intestinally distressed patients, spilled it onto a hot stove and it dried into flakes. It was introduced by the Washburn Crosby Co. (now General Mills) in 1924.

Comments

[Ronald Knoth]

Dear Supermarket Soap,

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

I imagine that the same trend in marketing exists here in the US as it does in the UK. When products are clearly for men, it's blatant and obvious. Whem products are for women they're either strictly feminine or at least gender neutral.

Regardless, It's difficult to think of a corn flake as being masculine.

[Supermarket Soap]

We have a similar thing in our stores. There are energy drinks like Red Bull aimed at no-one in particular, but then there is Relentless and Monster - both very aggressively packaged not in any way feminine or even neutral. Interestingly - girls buy Red Bull, but never Relentless in our store...