Kellogg's Special K Campaign Forgoes Products, Logos

Kellogg's recently launched a new series of television commercials that depict women who want to be fit. There is nothing unusual about that -- especially at the beginning of a new year when fitness ads are popular. These ads, however, do not show the products they're promoting, or even a product logo.

Instead, each of the ads conclude "Be victorious -- take the Special K Challenge." Kellogg's vice president for US cereal marketing, Jose Alberto Duenas, admitted it was "unprecedented" to omit products, but he explained: "We're trying to be faithful to giving real women a place to declare victory without the piece feeling overwhelmed by what the brand brings to the table."

Special K places great emphasis on appealing to women and values the spending power of the demographic. In the past few years, the brand has promoted the "Special K Challenge" -- a campaign that encourages women to lose weight by reducing snacks and eating Special K for two meals each day. It's a clever strategy because cereals are hugely popular with Americans, but only as a breakfast food. Opening up the rest of the day and night to cereal consumption poses obvious benefits for the brand.

Special K has expanded from a simple cereal to multiple cereal flavors accompanied by a line of branded foods such as crackers, frozen waffles, powdered drink mixes, and protein bars. Also, the new ad campaign is accompanied by a website that details the stories of ordinary women looking for ways to get into shape.

"What I like about Special K is how they've really been able to leverage a cereal brand into a diet brand and to do it in a way that is sort of a soft sell that is really appealing to women," says Krista Faron, a senior analyst at marketing research firm Mintel.

The most successful brands become part of our lifestyles, and Kellogg has certainly positioned Special K to succeed in the lucrative female market place.