Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Reese's Puffs launches PB&J cereal
Just in time for back-to-school season, Reese's Puffs is launching a new limited-time cereal based on a classic lunchbox favorite — the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Reese’s Puffs PB+J Cups blends the signature peanut butter and chocolate cereal with a strawberry jelly flavor, according to owner General Mills. The launch follows the success of Reese’s PB&J cups, which Hershey introduced last year.
“Perhaps the only flavor pairing that stands up as well as peanut butter and chocolate is peanut butter and jelly, so we figured it was time to combine all three in one epic bowl of Reese’s Puffs cereal,” Megan Brooks, business unit director for Reese’s Puffs at General Mills, said in a statement. “After seeing fans eat up the Reese’s PB+J Cups, we knew that beloved combination deserved a place in the cereal aisle too.”
The cereal is available at retailers nationwide until supply runs out. General Mills, which uses the Reese's brand name under license from Hershey, is leaning heavily into nostalgia for the launch, offering temporary tattoos as a throwback to the days of cereal box prizes.
Cereal brands are relying more on nostalgic flavors and experiences in a bid to appeal to millennial and Gen X parents who grew up with the breakfast staple. WK Kellogg included cereal box toys for the first time in more than a decade as part of a tie-in with "Toy Story 5," which experts say could bring parents back into the cereal aisle and discover other adult-oriented options.
– Sarah Zimmerman
Little Bites, big mystery
Snack brand Little Bites is asking consumers to help solve a mystery.
The brand, owned by Entenmann's manufacturer Bimbo Bakeries, launched a Mystery Muffin and they're asking shoppers to help identify the flavor. Consumers have until Sept. 2 to submit their entry with the chance to win a personalized celebration.
Little Bites isn't necessarily looking for the right answer, instead encouraging consumers to put forward the “whackiest, silliest or most imaginative" suggestions. The name could be inspired by a memory or feeling, and the brand shared options like "Butterfly Sunshine!" or "Dancing on Unicorn Clouds!" as examples.
"Every great name has a story," Annie Meehan, senior director of marketing for Little Bites, said in a statement. "It's about capturing a feeling, a memory, a moment of pure joy. This Mystery Muffin deserves a name as special and imaginative as the kid in all of us."
Contest finalists will face off in three fan-voted, bracket-style elimination rounds where Little Bites fans will choose their favorite flavor name.
Food companies have increasingly turned to mystery flavors to drum-up attention on social media, increase the playfulness of their brands and provide another opportunity to interact with the public. Mondelēz launched a mystery flavor for Chips Ahoy! last month and has previously done the same with Oreo. And in 2023, Coca-Cola launched a mystery flavor that was co-created with human and artificial intelligence.
– Christopher Doering
7 Brew enters CPG with canned coffee, energy drinks
Drive-thru coffee chain 7 Brew is bringing its coffee and energy drinks to the CPG space for the first time.
The lineup includes three ready-made espresso drinks based on offerings popular in the chain’s storefronts: The Blondie, which has added protein and caramel and vanilla flavors; Brunette Brownie, featuring chocolate and added protein; and Banana Bread, featuring banana and hazelnut flavors.
7 Brew is also launching five energy drinks anchored by original and sugar-free original. Other flavors include Ocean Breeze with blue raspberry and coconut; Nightshade with lavender, pomegranate and blue raspberry; and Pink Mermaid, with watermelon, coconut and strawberry.
The new product lineup will debut in 4,400 Walmart stores across the country beginning this month. The launch builds on a test in Arkansas earlier this year.
“7 Brew is built on bold flavor, and we brought that same experience to our new canned coffees and energy drinks,” Chris Dawson, president of 7 Brew, said in a statement. “We’re taking the craveable flavors our guests love at the stand and making them available now in a format they can enjoy at home anytime.”
7 Brew is an Arkansas-based chain of drive thru coffee shops known for its customizable beverages. The chain is on track to reach 1,000 locations by the end of the year.
7 Brew is now competing on store shelves with ready-to-drink latte brands including Starbucks and La Colombe, in addition to a vast variety of flavor-forward energy drinks across brands. A CPG debut could give the fast-growing coffee chain a leg up against competitors in the drive thru coffee business, particularly Dutch Bros and Scooter’s Coffee.
– Laurel Deppen
