Food
The Cheerios O has always stood for oats
To remind consumers that Cheerios are made from oats, the brand is releasing limited-edition boxes featuring its original name that it used 80 years ago: “Cheerioats.”
Always oats. Always heart healthy.
“Cheerioats” debuted in 1941 as one of the first oat-based ready-to-eat cereals (we changed the name in 1945 due to a legal objection).
To celebrate the brand’s anniversary, and highlight the oats, Cheerios is offering a retro, limited-edition Cheerioats box.
“This is a fun retro package to celebrate 80 years of Cheerios and we also hope it raises awareness of the importance of our oats,” says Kathy Dixon, senior Brand Experience manager for Cheerios. “The goodness of Cheerios and its yellow box has remained consistent over the years, and also has held a special place at the breakfast table with so many families.”
Since its beginning, Cheerios has always been about its simple, first ingredient – heart-healthy whole grain oats.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 3 American adults have high cholesterol. To help support a healthy heart, medical experts recommend practicing healthy living habits, like maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough physical activity and eating a heart-healthy diet, which can include foods made with whole grain oats, that can help lower cholesterol like Cheerios and other Cheerios flavors.
The oats in Cheerios are rich in nutrients and high in beta-glucan – a soluble fiber shown to help lower cholesterol as part of a heart-healthy diet.
As part of its 80th anniversary campaign, Cheerios is offering these promotions:
- Fans who share their favorite Cheerios memories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will have a chance to win 80 boxes of Cheerioats or a custom-made box.
- Cheerios is also offering consumers a coupon to get $.80 off their next box of Cheerioats.
The limited-edition Cheerioats boxes will be available at major retailers across the U.S. soon.
An 80-year legacy for the ‘O’
Our cereal experts in the late 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, tested over 500 formulas and 10 shapes and sizes before arriving at the now iconic O.
Cheerios also played a big part in our innovation pipeline from the very beginning. It was one of several cereals to use a “puffing gun” created by Thomas James, an engineer in our Mechanical Experimental Department at the time, to achieve its texture and shape.
Over the years, Cheerios also has inspired many “flanker” flavors, beginning with Honey Nut Cheerios in 1979.
Today there are 17 permanent flankers and five limited-edition Cheerios cereals including Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate, Fruity, Frosted and Cinnamon.
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