• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 30, 2014

For its first-ever Super Bowl ad, General Mills' Cheerios and agency Saatchi & Saatchi New York have created a sequel to last year's high-profile TV ad featuring an interracial family.

General Mills announced and unveiled the new 30-second ad, dubbed "Gracie," prior to the big game.  

As of early Jan. 30, the video had drawn nearly 986,000 views in less than 48 hours on YouTube, about 3,400 "likes," and about 365 "dislikes."

The original TV ad that debuted last May, "Just Checking," drew racist comments that forced General Mills to turn off the comments section on the video's area on YouTube. 

But many others praised the company and the Cheerios brand, and rallied in support of the ad, which is currently showing nearly 4.8 million views on YouTube.

Last year's ad featured a little girl showing love for her dad by showering him with Cheerios, after confirming that the cereal's whole-grain oats are heart-healthy.

The Super Bowl ad — which is also only General Mills' second ever (the first was for Wheaties, in 1996) — features the same family as the original, including little girl "Gracie," who this time uses news that she's going to have a baby brother to negotiate for a puppy.

General Mills' post about the new spot on its blog notes that it's the same family from "Just Checking," and a simple quote from Camille Gibson, VP of marketing for Big G Cereals: "Cheerios is about families and love and connections — and breakfast. Our new Cheerios ad celebrates one of those special moments with a family that America fell in love with. The brand is at its best when it reveals insights about what connects us to each other, especially as family, and often through the lens of a child."