Karaoke for breakfast? That's the unlikely new offering from General Mills as part of a promotional effort for Yogurt Burst Cheerios. The "Cheerioke" campaign (www.cheerioke.com) invites visitors to
create a virtual karaoke "diva," then warble along. Vocals can be recorded via a pc microphone or phone; the end product can be saved and sent to friends via e-mail.
The campaign boasts an
"American Idol"-like contest with videos of 15 finalists performing "I'm Into Something Good." General Mills plans to post the videos to a contest site (www.cheerioscontest.com) and the online voting
public will choose the winner.
While Cheerioke was originally envisioned as a one-time-only campaign, enthusiastic feedback means there may be future installments, says Shelly Dvorak,
General Mills public relations manager, who adds, "People love to watch their friends do karaoke."