Kellogg’s Stranger Things Campaign Hits Big
Two elements of effective PR that you should never discount are timing and clever brand placement. Sometimes, all it takes to get noticed is to have your brand in a prime place at the right time. From red carpets and royal weddings, to sporting events and movies, product placement can be a very effective way to energize or introduce a brand. Just ask Kellogg’s.
Eggo waffles have been around for decades. Most American kids grew up eating them. In fact, it may have been one of the first things those kids – who now have kids of their own – learned to cook.
But the frozen food section is a cold and unforgiving place, with tight competition and new items always vying for attention. Kellogg’s tried all kinds of things to keep consumer attention. They tried tiny ones and flavored ones and fruit-infused varieties. But, even as their facings expanded in plan-o-grams, Eggo still faced a difficult trend. The kids who grew up eating Eggos were choosing coffee and bagels, and they weren’t feeding their kids as many frozen waffles either.
Kellogg’s needed something to reconnect with their consumer based. Then a very unique product came along. Stranger Things, the nostalgic sci-fi romp set in the 1980s, was a massive surprise hit for Netflix. And right there, as the action progressed, was Eggo.
The presence of the waffles, which are one of the key protagonist’s favorite treat, was even more pronounced in the second season of the program. While neither Kellogg’s nor the producers of Stranger Things have disclosed the reason for the prominent placement of the Eggos, Kellogg’s definitely did not miss a chance to capitalize.
After the repeated presence of the waffles in season one, Kellogg’s PR team approached Netflix prior to the production of season two, looking to make a deal. The negotiations have not been disclosed, but the results of those conversations were both a marked increase in the number of scenes with Eggos, as well as a series of commercials during the premier of the second season.
And that was just the beginning. Kellogg’s also went big on social media, creating a series of GIFs, memes and other content featuring the character Eleven chowing down on her favorite food. The resulting wave of nostalgia caused countless viewers, pining for the golden days of the 80s, to toss boxes of Eggos in their cart the next time they visited the grocery store.
On top of that, the active and clever social media posting earned the Kellogg’s social media team tons of new followers and fans, ensuring that the momentary win would continue to roll into the foreseeable future.
5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian is the founder of 5W Public Relations.
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Two elements of effective PR that you should never discount are timing and clever brand placement. Sometimes, all it takes to get noticed is to have your brand in a prime place at the right time. From red carpets and royal weddings, to sporting events and movies, product placement can be a very effective way to energize or introduce a brand. Just ask Kellogg’s. Eggo waffles have been around for decades. Most American kids grew up eating them. In fact, it may have been one of the first things those kids – who now have kids of their own – learned to cook. But the frozen food section is a cold and unforgiving place, with tight competition and new items…