• by Erik Oster , March 11, 2024

While most associate Post’s Pebbles brand family of sweet cereal with childhood, the brand’s collaborative partnerships for National Cereal Day and the release of Berry Pebbles were created with adult fans in mind.

In honor of the March 7 holiday, and the release of LeBron James’ Nike LeBron 4 sneaker in a colorway inspired by Fruity Pebbles, the brand teamed up with Kith, which sells sneakers as well as Treats, on a related exclusive in-store experience at the brand’s SoHo and Los Angeles locations.

Kith Treats –- which touts itself as creating the “Original Cereal Soft Serve” -- created a menu of three Fruity Pebbles-infused ice cream specials available through March 17. For example, “The King’s Breakfast,” features vanilla ice cream infused with Fruity Pebbles, strawberry, banana and French toast, and  topped with cinnamon dust, strawberry jam, banana chips, and crushed Fruity Pebbles -- available across Kith’s U.S. flagship locations.

Pebbles also furthered its reach into fan closets through a collaboration with New York-based designer Susan Alexandra for a line of limited-edition accessories in celebration of the return of Berry Pebbles as a long-term flavor extension.

Available online exclusively at Susan Alexandra’s website, the Susan Alexandra x Pebbles collection features the Berry Pebbles Breakfast Vignette Bag, a sequin and seed-beaded “vintage-inspired, breakfast tablescape bag” with a magnetic snap closure and satin lining; a Tutti-Fruity Berry Bag Charm inspired by Berry Pebbles’ colors; and a Berry Pebbles Cereal Bowl Bag Charm, complete with silver beaded spoon.

 “Both partnerships have allowed us to tap into the millennial / Gen Z ‘kids-at-heart’ demographic. Not only does this bring new consumers into the fold, but also reminds old fans of a nostalgic time in their childhood -- enjoying a bowl of Pebbles while watching Saturday morning cartoons,” Pebbles senior brand manager Joe Christenson told Marketing Daily.

 “What might surprise many is that over 50% of Pebbles purchasing households are households without kids,” he added. “There are millions of adult Pebbles fans who have a nostalgic connection to the brand, and we want to continue bringing them creative, exciting experiences that encourage them to engage with our brand in new ways.”

Christenson explained that with the return of Berry Pebbles, the brand sought to pursue a strategic partnership with a “trendsetting, like-minded brand,” which led to teaming up with Susan Alexandra, “a woman-owned business known for whimsical, food-forward fashion designs.”

The brand’s strategy to promote both partnerships mostly focused on earned media, with support from influencer partnerships and social media content, as well as in-store activations at the Kith’s SoHo and Los Angeles locations.