General Mills Celebrates 55 Years of Monsters Cereals
General Mills’ Monsters Cereals are coming to stores for a limited time again this year, marking the 55th anniversary of the company’s Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry cereals that have become iconic additions to the cereal aisle in the months leading up to Halloween.
“For 55 years, the monsters have brought a smile, and a little thrill, to cereal bowls,” Megan Brooks, business unit director for family favorites cereal at General Mills, said in a media release.
The reimagined versions of the monsters as puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop — first created to celebrate the entertainment company’s 70th anniversary last year — are center stage on the boxes again this year, which replicate the fleece-like texture of the puppets.
“Fans loved Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry reimagined through The Jim Henson Co.’s creativity last year,” Brooks added, “so we were excited to team up again to create fresh new packaging designs that celebrate the characters and bring even more Halloween fun to store shelves.”
The limited-edition collection hits retailers nationwide this month. In addition to the refreshed box art, this year’s boxes feature cutout designs that let consumers engage with the brand by building their own monster puppets.
“This Halloween, we’re giving cereal and Jim Henson Co. fans alike the chance to put their creativity to the test by transforming each cereal box into its own monster puppet,” said Nicole Goldman, executive vice president of branding for The Jim Henson Co.
Fans are encouraged to share their puppet creations across both companies’ Instagram and Facebook accounts.
This year, Count Chocula himself is further grabbing consumer attention through a limited-edition fuzzy box. The special release will be available exclusively on Walmart.com starting Oct. 1.
General Mills debuted its limited-edition box last year in partnership with The Jim Henson Co., kicking off with a fuzzy Franken Berry cereal box, also available only on Walmart.com.
