Cheerios begins Cheer promotion
By Adnews Staff
General Mills Canada has begun an Olympic-themed promotion called "Cheer" in support of its Cheerios cereal brand. The initiative is intended to provide expressions of public support to Canadian athletes competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in the absence of live audiences at events due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the promotion, boxes of Honey Nut, Multi-Grain and regular Cheerios will display a QR code that consumers can use to submit digital cheers for Canadian athletes. Scanning the QR code will take consumers to an interactive presentation where they can games, learn more about the athletes and send a written or video cheer. These messages will be sent to Canadian athletes and features on the brand's social media pages. The effort includes the participation of athletes Mark McMorris, Sarah Nurse, Charles Hamelin, Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier, Connor McDavid and Jane Channell.
The promotion was developed in association with Blippar. It is being promoted with special packaging, television advertising and social media activities. In addition, the brand will operate a "Cheer Booth" in the Canadian team's Athlete Lounge at the Olympic Village. The space will display messages of encouragement from consumers.
"Behind every athlete, there are thousands of passionate fans," said Jeevan Grewal, brand experience manager of cereals and snacks at General Mills Canada. "For the past 12 years, we've fostered a connection between athletes and fans through our 'Cheer Card' program. This year, we wanted to find a way to deepen that connection and enable fans to share their cheer in new ways. We hope that they still feel the love and support from afar."