• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, February 1, 2012

To launch belVita Breakfast Biscuits in the U.S., Kraft Foods is gearing up a marketing blitz that will kick off with a TV spot debuting during NBC’s Super Bowl XLVI pre-game coverage.

The humorous, 30-second spot, taglined “Power Up, People,” portrays a pair of small-town policemen who “power up” each morning by eating belVita Biscuits for breakfast, enabling them to handle emergencies like an escaped pet rabbit, a hornet nest, and expired milk. (“This sleepy town has never been safer…”) The spot, from Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, was directed by Miguel Areta (“Cedar Rapids,” “The Good Girl”).

In addition, the belVita campaign features a unique sampling effort and original videos and other content from “Power Up Pros.”

Tying into the TV ad’s creative and extending the message beyond the small screen, Kraft is shipping the first belVita Breakfast samples to the National Association of Police Organizations serving 128 U.S. locations, before the products hit U.S. store shelves (in cookie/cracker aisles) nationwide on Feb. 6.

Kraft also will distribute more than 16 million free samples to consumers around the country -- one of the largest sampling programs in the company’s history.

The brand will also offer content -- including short films, animations and photo series --- from “Power Up Pros,” described as “cultural tastemakers from across the country who exemplify the belVita Breakfast lifestyle and champion sustained morning energy.”

The “pros” include fashion photographer Meagan Cignoli, fashion designer/illustrator Katie Rodgers, and Luke Holden, owner of New York City-based restaurant chain Luke’s Lobster.

While breakfast biscuits are new to Americans, they have long been popular in Europe. Kraft introduced its first breakfast biscuits in France over a decade ago, and now sells belVita biscuits in more than 10 countries, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, the U.K. and Brazil.

The crunchy belVita biscuits were formulated with nutritionists to release carbohydrate energy to the body throughout the morning, according to Kraft.

Each package of four biscuits (one serving) has 18 to 20 grams of whole grains, 3 grams of fiber, 3 to 4 grams of protein and four B vitamins. All three varieties (golden oat, apple cinnamon and blueberry) have 230 calories per serving. The biscuits contain no high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils (just 0.5 gram of saturated fat and 0 trans fat), or artificial sweeteners.

Kraft is suggesting the biscuits as a portable, energizing and nutritious breakfast, particularly when paired with a piece of fruit and a serving of fat-free or low-fat dairy.