Special K Is Putting Simone Biles on Its Cereal Box
Landing a deal to have their image slapped on a box of Wheaties — the General Mills “Breakfast of Champions” — has been a longstanding milestone for prominent athletes and U.S. Olympians. Now Kellogg’s is getting in on the game, announcing that the U.S. women’s gymnastics team will grace Gold Medal Edition boxes of Special K Red Berries cereal, according to the NBC’s official Olympics website.
And here’s another first: Kellogg’s will produce its first-ever dual-sided box. One side will show Simone Biles with her gold medal for the women’s individual all-around. Flip the box over and you’ll see the entire team — the “Final Five,” Biles along with Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian — proudly wearing their gold medals for the 2016 team all-around win.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Simone and the women’s team after all of their incredible achievements here in Rio representing Team USA,” said the vice president of marketing for Kellogg’s, Noel Geoffroy, according to the Olympics website. “We’re excited to continue the time-honored tradition of showcasing America’s champions on Kellogg’s cereal boxes following their remarkable success at the 2016 Olympic Games.”
Biles and the Final Five are blazing a trail by being the first athletes to adorn a box of Special K, but they follow in some legendary footsteps with their latest achievement. Mary Lou Retton — probably gymnastics’ most famous face — landed a spot on Wheaties cereal boxes three times, first when she won Olympic gold in 1984 and most recently in 2012, when Kellogg’s put the original box back in production to coincide with the London Olympics.
The last women’s Olympic gymnastics team to score a cereal box placement was in 1996, when the “Magnificent Seven” wowed the world with its gold-medal performance.
Team USA 2016’s Kocian said about the honor, “What an awesome surprise,” on her Instagram. If you’re excited too and can’t wait for the cereal to hit supermarket shelves, sign up for Kellogg’s Family Rewards online to get your free box right away.
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