• by John Gaffney , July 9, 2002

Now there’s a reason to read the back of the cereal box – even if you’re not a kid. Wheaties, Buick and Nike have teamed up to offer a golf promotion squarely aimed at an older demographic than breakfast cereals usually aim at. In fact, if you don’t drive a car or play golf, you’re not even in the target audience.

Beginning this month, two 18-ounce boxes of Wheaties featuring Tiger Woods on the front will be banded together with two free special-edition Nike Golf Balls, and a chance for consumers to win a new Buick Rendezvous. From weekend trips to championship tournaments, Woods shares some of his favorite “drives” on the back of the cereal boxes.

The pack also announces the "Drive Like A Champion" Sweepstakes. One randomly drawn winner will receive a new 2003 Buick Rendezvous CXL automobile. Twenty-five Wheaties prize packs, consisting of a Wheaties duffel bag, T-shirt, hat, sweatshirt and insulated water bottle, also will be awarded. Consumers can go to www.buick.com/wheaties for contest details.

"With our history of recognizing championship achievement, this partnership with Buick featuring Tiger just makes sense," said Brian Kittelson, Wheaties marketing manager. "Both companies have relationships with Tiger and ties to top performances on and off the course."

Buick is now in its fifth decade as the PGA Tour's original sponsor. Buick is title or presenting sponsor of five PGA Tour events in 2002 and has sponsorship agreements with four PGA Tour players, including Woods. Buick has been the official car of the PGA Tour since 1984 and an official sponsor of the domestic events of the World Golf Championships since 2000. Through its five PGA Tour events, Buick has donated more than $23 million to charities in its tournament markets. In January, 2002, Buick took over the title-sponsorship of the Buick Scramble, the world's largest amateur golf tournament with more than 100,000 participants.

Nike is relatively new to the golf category, introducing clubs earlier this year. Its main golf endorser is Woods. Woods has been a Wheaties spokesperson for several years, however, this is believed to be the first time the General Mills cereal brand has taken its promotional activity to an older demo.