Reese’s Puffs envisions futuristic ‘Breakfastverse’ with high-end designer

Dive Brief:

• Reese’s Puffs is sharing its vision for the future of breakfast with its first experiment in the metaverse and a high-end fashion collaboration, per a press release. 
• The General Mills brand partnered with Ambush, the label of designer Yoon Ahn, to create a Chrome Puff accessory. The product, described as a “breakfast bowl-turned-purse,” features a metallic texture and foldable chrome spoon and will be sold online for $150 starting Nov. 17 through Reese’s Puffs’ web store.
• Reese’s Puffs is previewing the collector’s item during a futuristic dining experience in New York City on Nov. 16, with reservations available on a first-come, first-served basis through OpenTable. Those who can’t make it in person can check out the “Breakfastverse,” an interactive virtual space with a sweepstakes component. 

Dive Insight:

Reese’s Puffs is again positioning its cereal around the world of fashion as driving a cultural impact becomes a bigger mandate for marketers. The tie-up with Ambush builds on previous collaborations from the General Mills brand that have tried to imbue an everyday grocery staple with an aura of exclusivity and designer cool.

Last November, Reese’s Puffs linked with in-demand artist Kaws on limited-edition cereal boxes featuring QR codes that accessed an augmented reality game. Kaws’ signature Companion character, the subject of desirable collectibles and artwork, factored heavily into the effort. 

The work with Yoon Ahn is meant to capture what the future of breakfast occasions could look like, with metallic chrome motifs and dining activations across virtual and real-world channels. Ambush, which takes heavy inspiration from pop art, has tried to shore up its Web3 bona fides with a non-fungible token collection and proprietary metaverse space called Silver Fctry.  

The Reese’s Puffs partnership kicked off last month with exclusive packaging designed by Ahn, and is now expanding to include a high-end accessory that recalls her Ambush output (albeit at a more affordable price point). Along with the Chrome Puff purse, Reese’s Puffs on Nov. 17 is dropping a chrome-inspired Reese’s x Ambush cereal box with embossed elements and reflective text for $50 on its webshop. 

The concept aligns with a broader marketing trend around collectibles, where brands release merchandise in limited quantities and with the help of recognized names to generate some cultural cache. McDonald’s earlier in the fall tapped cult streetwear label Cactus Plant Flea Market for adult Happy Meals that drove a customer frenzy and helped boost sales. 

Reese’s Puffs is trying to make its Ambush goods more accessible through the Breakfastverse that users can explore as a digital spoon avatar. The online space launching Nov. 17 lets visitors navigate their way to a “Chrome Throne” where they can enter to win a Chrome Puff and collector’s cereal box. The co-branded metaverse venue is meant to cater to the “inner children in all of us,” according to a statement from Ahn. The gaming-centric component could serve the tie-up well, leveraging a channel that’s popular with the Gen Z consumers who make up Reese’s Puffs’ target audience. 

Other recent Reese’s Puffs partnerships include one with rapper Lil Yachty, who helped introduce a waterproof speaker and “Milkcuzzi,” and a team-up with singer-songwriter Tinashe to promote cereal boxes that doubled as music-makers.