Wheaties uses unique history of highlighting heroes to mark 100-year anniversary

The brand’s partnerships with extraordinary sports figures offer a new angle for celebrating a centennial.

By Ted Kitterman

It’s not every day that a brand gets to celebrate 100 years of being in business. Yet, the task of getting media coverage for brand anniversaries is common enough for PR pros.

And even if your brand is turning 100 years old, the simple fact that you are still in business is not necessarily newsworthy. Instead, the moment marks an important opportunity for brand journalism, as organizations that can tell their own story through owned and social media channels are more likely to land coverage.

One brand that’s touting its centennial is Wheaties, the cereal made by General Mills that has a storied background for U.S. consumers. The brand’s history of celebrating sports heroes and champions like boxer Muhammad Ali and basketball superstar LeBron James informed the brand’s approach to marking the 100-year milestone.

The result? The Century Box Series—a limited run of collectible Wheaties boxes that highlight some of the great names the brand has worked with over the years.

“Wheaties believes that the world needs more champions,” says Taylor Gessell, brand experience manager for Wheaties. “As we celebrate 100 years and look ahead to our second century, Wheaties is focused on inspiring the next generation by paying homage to its rich 100-year history and launching the Century Box Series.”

When looking to find a compelling story about your company, start by examining the unique and surprising things that highlight your history. For Wheaties, customers’ love for the brand’s boxes featuring famous athletes was the perfect angle to demonstrate cultural relevance.

“Wheaties has a 100-year history of connecting with consumers beyond being a functional cereal,” explains Gessell. “Generations of sports fans can recall seeing their hero on the cover of a Wheaties box. In fact, for many, our boxes are collectibles!”

Knowing what parts of your brand have a value beyond your product is a great place to start when thinking about brand storytelling. Like the athletes Wheaties has championed over the years, the brand hopes to stand for more than its marketplace success.

“We’re proud of our history of shaping sports culture by championing athletes on and off the field,” Gessell says. “Those athletes stand for so much more than their game, and they’ve given us inspiring stories to share that help inspire the next generation of Champions.”

Finding the right hero

So, how does a brand like Wheaties find the right figure to be the first on the Century Box Series? For the Wheaties team, there could only be only one choice.

“Wheaties chose to kick off the Century Box Series with ‘The Greatest,’ Muhammad Ali, in honor of the athlete’s six core principles of confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, spirituality, and respect, which reflected his approach to opponents inside and outside of the ring,” says Gessell. “No one was quite like Muhammad Ali. Beyond his unrivaled prowess in the boxing ring, he was also an agent for social change, racial justice and remembered as a civil rights icon.”

It’s a reminder to think about influencers and brand partners in a holistic way, with contributions that go beyond their accomplishments in a particular field.

Going social

Though social media was far from a reality at the time of Wheaties’ launch 100 years ago, it’s a crucial part of the effort to mark its centennial.

“The launch was strategically focused on leveraging earned media and amplified by a holistic influencer campaign,” says Gessell. “This approach gave media, celebrities, and athletes a premiere unboxing experience that ultimately unveiled Muhammad Ali’s Century Series cover. Wheaties also drove further awareness via its Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok channels.”

The limited-edition Wheaties Muhammad Ali box is currently available at national grocery retailers and will be available online at Shop.Wheaties.com this month. Fans can also visit Wheaties.com and subscribe to a mailing list, offering the brand a chance to capture consumers’ attention in a different way.

Looking to inspire

The main takeaway Wheaties hopes consumers get from the campaign is one of inspiration. “We want fans to feel empowered and inspired to achieve greatness in the sports they play, and their daily lives just like their favorite Wheaties Champions,” Gessell says. As the country looks to open up after months of economic crisis and anxiety, that’s not a bad message.