Cereal, once dominating the breakfast occasion, now shares that stage with a bevy of other breakfast options, especially for adults ranging from late Gen Zers to early Gen Xers.
Special K cereal has also faced its own unique challenge: the brand’s identity, which once resonated with consumers in the 80’s and 90’s, has struggled to retain relevancy with the next generations of consumers.
Going into 2024, Special K had one goal: reclaiming its relevance.
So, we went back to the start, the very start, and uncovered the DNA that makes Special K, well... special.
We uncovered cereal is ONLY as 'special’ as the people it’s made for and meets people wherever they are with nutrients they need. Meaning the cereal and the people who eat it are all ‘Special for a Reason’. With this new brand truth as fuel, we set out on a mission to make those who feel unseen, not only seen – but also ‘special’.
Our brief was simple: make Special K relevant by inserting it into culture.
Armed with the insight that moms and moms-to-be feel unseen, we set out to show them that every journey to motherhood is special for a reason.
As we ideated on who embodied the ‘Special for a Reason’ campaign, there was one empowering mommy-to-be that was already making headlines that week: Molly Baz. As a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, influencer and cereal lover, Molly made waves when her Times Square billboard showing off her pregnancy was taken down after only two days.
As a cereal that has been enjoyed by mommies-to-be for decades, we wanted to celebrate every woman’s special journey to motherhood. Further, because pregnant women everywhere, like Molly, enjoy cereal throughout their pregnancies, we knew we had an opportunity to play a meaningful role in celebrating the strength of motherhood.
Within ONE week, we went from idea to execution.
Our team secured a partnership with Molly Baz (in less than 24 hours), developed and executed a comprehensive owned and influencer social strategy including more than six owned posts by Molly herself, conducted media outreach under embargo, secured media interviews, developed materials, coordinated and staffed a photoshoot, and created a box design in partnership with Molly.
At 39 weeks pregnant, and just days after her billboard was taken down, Special K and Molly Baz made history when Molly become the first-ever pregnant woman on a cereal box, transforming Molly’s set back into a pro-pregnancy platform.
Our Special K box became more than packaging; it was a canvas for advocacy. And while Molly might have made history on the front, she got to tell her story on the back... in her OWN voice, giving her a unique platform to advocate for pregnant women everywhere.
This authentic – and genuinely proud – collaboration between Molly and Special K fueled the impact of this campaign, solidified by the 18+ added value posts shared by Molly herself.
We wanted to make an even stronger impact. So, in celebration of this partnership, we donated $25,000 to Women United through United Way and its work to promote stronger, healthier communities.
We did more than put a person on a cereal box – we made Molly an integral part of our brand’s history by giving her HER OWN platform AND putting that into the hands of consumers. We understood that every journey to motherhood is thoughtful, personal and wholly unique, and we carried that truth through on our extra special Special K boxes but wanted to do more for all the mothers to be.
So, we doubled down on our commitment to highlight journeys to motherhood by extending partnerships to five other pregnant mommas who related to Molly’s story, including spin instructor, Emma Lovewell, and fashion influencer, Courtney Quinn. They authentically shared how seeing Molly’s pregnant belly on a cereal box inspired them to tell their own stories and emphasized the importance of representation.
The results are as historic as the campaign itself: it was deemed one of the brand’s most successful PR activations EVER.
In just one week, preorders for her box SOLD OUT. This history-making box resulted in over 1.2 billion earned impressions, 10 million social views and an Ad Age Marketing ‘Winner of the Week’ designation.
We not only boosted Special K – we made history. Laura McQuarrie from TrendHunter wrote, “The Molly Baz x Special K limited-edition cereal box celebrates the miracle of pregnancy and motherhood and invited breakfast cereal lovers to get to know the longtime Special K fan and consumer, who says, ‘Cereal got me through pregnancy in a very real way.’”
By putting Molly on the front of our boxes we elevated the conversation so that mothers everywhere were empowered to be open and celebrate the moments of their pregnancies. All the moments. The good, the bad, the ugly, the messy, the scary... and, most importantly, the ‘special’.
