Dive Brief:
- The Pillsbury Doughboy — aka Poppin' Fresh, with his iconic giggle when poked — celebrated his 50th anniversary Saturday.
- Pillsbury was based in Minneapolis prior to General Mills acquiring it in 2001, though the Chicago-based Leo Burnett Advertising Agency created the now icon in 1965.
- General Mills pulled out all the stops in celebrating the milestone, including releasing a series of dance moves, in GIF mode, specifically, on its blog.
Dive Insight:
Shake your biscuit! https://t.co/hqctJxsji4 The Doughboy released an adoughable dance video: https://t.co/6Wiu9khuEc pic.twitter.com/7C03iXhD5q
— General Mills (@GeneralMills) November 9, 2015
Poppin' Fresh remains a perennial figure in the food industry — and has even made his way into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Despite consumer shift away from processed foods, characters and stories that drive nostalgia are paramount to keeping the industry relevant. And with 50 years under his belt, it's one that engages older consumers who remember him from childhood and something they can also share with their children.
Specifically, General Mills' relaunch of its French Toast Crunch brand involves a web series that plays off a soap opera motif.
Poppin' Fresh's latest birthday dance craze, though, speaks to the continued push toward digital-savvy marketing that plays off new technologies — even if it's just on account of a birthday. After all, who can resist Poppin' Fresh in GIF form?
