- General Mills brand Totino’s is targeting Gen Z with a brand new campaign, entitled “Start the Day the Totino’s Way,” that promotes Breakfast Snack Bites, its foray into the morning food category, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- Two latest 15-second spots tap into nostalgia while positioning Breakfast Snack Bites as a convenient selection amid the morning shuffle. The ads include original jingles from agency Butter.
- Set to run across online video, streaming TV, the brand’s social media channels and paid social placement, the trouble was inspired by research indicating that 75% of teens skip breakfast.
Totino’s, a brand known for its Pizza Roll snacks, is pushing into the breakfast category with Gen Z in its sights. Its latest campaign is inspired by nearly all of teens who skip breakfast, offering the marketer a key opportunity to advertise its Breakfast Snack Bites as a convenient option. The campaign also taps into Gen Z’s appetite for nostalgia, a preferred marketing tactic of late, with visuals and music meant to evoke commercials of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
At the middle of the campaign are two spots depicting morning scenes across the breakfast table along with a bizarre tone, something Totino’s often infuses into its marketing. “WakeyWakey” shows a teen getting away from bed under the sunshine of a creepy sun puppet and sitting down on the table to enjoy breakfast bites while catching the morning news. In “Momstache,” a teen fights with a frozen arm protruding from the freezer to get his hands on the snack bites before spotting his mom with a Totino’s mustache. The ads are soundtracked by retro jingles created by agency Butter.
“Start the Day the Totino’s Way” was developed with Dentsu Creative — which has had a hand in other unhinged marketing plays from Totino’s — along with Emma Debany of production company WW7. Debany collaborated on every element of the work, per release details, from casting to set design to shooting the creative on a Digital Bolex camera to supply a retro feel.
Totino’s latest effort could help construct loyalty and attract consumers trying to knock the habit of selecting meal options like fast food. At the identical time, QSRs like Wendy’s have also stepped up their marketing around breakfast. Prior to its latest move, Totino’s teamed with comedian Pete Davidson for a campaign promoting its Pizza Rolls snack that was timed to the Super Bowl.
Other breakfast marketers have unveiled their very own creative efforts recently. In May, Thomas’ Breakfast, a maker of bagels and English muffins, unveiled its first brand character in its 144-year history as a part of its “Huzzah! A Toast to Breakfast” campaign. The month prior, Quaker launched a “100 Reasons to Rise” photo series showcasing how mornings can unite people, constructing on the marketer’s first global brand platform up to now.
Totino’s parent company General Mills recently reported quarterly net sales totaling $4.7 billion, a year-over-year decrease of 6%, per its fiscal Q4 2024 earnings report. For the complete yr, the marketer said net sales totaled $19.9 billion, a 1% decline from the yr prior. For its fiscal 2025 outlook, the marketer expects organic net sales to range between flat and up 1%.
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