Corn Flakes might not be the sexiest of all the cereal options in the supermarket, but they’ve been a reliable choice for decades.
However, Kellogg’s latest move might surprise some as it involves a major change being made to its iconic mascot, for the very first time.
After 66 years, Cornelius the cockerel is entering a new era, in a bid to connect with a younger generation and combat declining sales.
You might be familiar with the green and red bird, who has long featured on boxes of Corn Flakes – but now he’s got a new look after being turned into a fully developed character for Kellogg’s most recent advertising campaign.
As part of a bold new ad celebrating the ‘OG of breakfast’, Kellogg’s has brought Cornelius to life.
The advert sees a King Kong-sized version of the cockerel plodding down a city street, his giant eye peering in the windows of skyscrapers, as people go about their morning routines.
Cornelius’ new look is meant to symbolise the company’s ‘dedication to future innovation and investment in cereal’ and he was developed by Framestore – the visual effects studio behind films like Wicked and Paddington.
The cockerel has been a brand mascot for the cereal company since 1958 and when he first debuted, he appeared in adverts with his own catchphrase, saying: ‘Wake up, up, up to Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.’
He doesn’t speak in the new advert, but he does crow at the end, after making his way around the city and stopping to have a little dance to Jayou by Jurassic 5 – much to the surprise of commuters. The song is a clever choice for Kellogg’s as it also features the lyric ‘Snap, crackle, pop pop, fizz fizz’, which will likely make many think of the iconic Rice Krispies mascots Snap, Crackle and Pop.
The new campaign is intended to push cereal sales in 2025, after it was recently revealed that Kellogg’s top 10 bestsellers are in decline, as household budgets become tighter amid rising prices in the sector.
Own-brand cereal has become increasingly more popular, with only Coco Pops and Frosties seeing growth in sales for Kellogg’s of late.
Chris Silcock, UK managing director of Kellanova (the company that owns Kellogg’s as well as Pringles), told The Grocer, the new advert was just one ‘part’ of the brand’s new strategy to boost sales.
He added that he’s confident they will ‘drive growth across numerous areas including new products, partnerships, in-store activation, out of store and communications’.
This news comes after Kellogg’s confirmed in August 2024 that they’d discontinued one of their ‘best’ cereal flavours.
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The brand revealed on social media that Coco Pops Rocks had been discontinued, after several fans asked where they had gone. A user named @moogyboobles on X was keen to find some as they hadn’t come across a box in a long time.
A spokesperson on the @kelloggshelp_uk account replied: ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you but this product has been discontinued. Perhaps I can interest you in our two new Coco Pops varieties, Coco Pops Mega Pops and Coco Pops Loops.’
And Corn Flakes fans were saddened to hear that the chocolate flavour, which returned to shelves earlier this year, had been recalled in May after fears it was ‘unsafe to eat’.
The company revealed the cereal could contain ‘hard lumps’ that cause dental damage or trouble swallowing. The Food Standards Agency asked shoppers to throw away their 450g packs of the cereal and get a full refund.
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