It has been a difficult year, to say the least, and the holiday season will present unique challenges for many families. As loved ones struggle to find a way to stay connected even when they can’t be physically together, Cheerios offers a sweet visit to the memory tape.
In 1999, Cheerios had a memorable commercial with actor Peggy Miley, who focused on the importance of reuniting the family during the holidays. The ad showed, even back in those two decades, how distance shouldn’t stop a family from connecting. The commercial, now a legendary piece in television history, is now being revised – thanks to a viral TikTok.
In the classic Cheerios commercial, a grandmother is seen talking to a child in a high chair. As Grandma explains the long journey she took to visit the baby, the baby is quite uninterested – she is more interested in the Cheerios she tastes. Grandma then uses the snack to illustrate (approximately) a map of the route she took to visit her niece and to explain where her extended family lives along the “map.” The baby looks pretty exasperated – he just wants cereal!
But the message behind this sweet little scene is that no matter what life throws up, they will still find a way to be together for Christmas – a pretty important reminder of our current situation.
Nostalgia has brought this ad so far, after influencer Cori Spruiell posted a TikTok in which he launched the idea, while holding back tears, to bring an updated version of the ad, at a time when he would feel particularly intensive. In Spruiell’s vision for advertising, it would be 20 years later, and that child would all have grown up and, even if he couldn’t be physically with her family for the holidays due to the pandemic, would connect through Zoom.
Cheerios took the idea and ran with it, recreating the original commercial with the same cast. Miley returns as a grandmother, and the original baby is back – as an adult.
“I was too young to remember my experience filming the Cheerios holiday commercial, but I have the same feeling of warmth, both watching the original commercial and participating in its recreation,” said Delfina Booth, who played the child in the commercial. original. a declaration. “I can’t wait for the reactions of the fans on the spot, because as I grew up, the importance of connecting with my loved ones became stronger.”
“I never expected my TikTok to give such an emotional tail to my followers and I’m absolutely amazed at how quickly and creatively Cheerios worked to bring the new video to life,” Cori Spruiell said in a statement. . “I can’t wait for people to see this modern approach in this classic, beloved, classic commercial – I strongly recommend that you have the tissues at hand!”
On Friday, a 2020 remake of the original Cheerios commercial will debut on TikTok and YouTube, reflecting on how older and younger generations come together – practically – this holiday season. The ad opens with a Christmas tree display, focusing on an ornament depicting an image from the original ad, then moving on to the now-adult “baby” who is meeting her grandmother through Christmas FaceTime.
“No matter where Grandma lives, we’ll always be together for Christmas,” Miley’s character tells her niece, just as she did in the original commercial. The ad closes with a message about keeping traditions alive, and the grandmother shows her niece, using Cheerios, where the rest of the family is in the country.
“Together with the family is at the heart of this iconic 20-year-old ad, Cheerios, and it’s something that won’t be physically possible for many this holiday season,” said Kathy Dixon, Senior Brand Experience Manager for Cheerios. in a statement. “Many of our fans remember the character of the grandmother and the baby from the original place, so what better time than now to refresh the ad, empathize with our audience and capture today’s reality.”
Cheerios isn’t the only one trying to reimagine a classic ad, but hopefully he’ll have more luck than Hershey. Recently, the chocolate company revised its classic Christmas bell advertisement, and fans complained that they would not want more changes in a holiday season that was already full of changes.