Shaq Helps General Mills Search for Biggest Cereal Fans
General Mills is giving cereal fans the opportunity to cast a vote for their favorite brand through a partnership with Shaquille O’Neal, in-store product tie-ins and a multiplatform marketing effort.
The company enlisted the basketball legend to bring his big personality and love of competition to its first-ever “Biggest Fan” contest, inviting fans to pick their favorites from longtime household cereal brands.
“Our cereal fans bring incredible passion and personality to the brands they love, and we believe we have some of the best fans out there,” Megan Brooks, General Mills' business unit director for family favorite cereals, said in a media release. “With Shaq bringing his larger-than-life energy to the 'Biggest Fan' contest, we wanted to create a fun way for people to join in, show their love for their favorite cereals and compete for some seriously unforgettable prizes.”
The multibrand effort debuted Aug. 15, encouraging fans to upload a photo or video and share why they deserve the title of Biggest Fan.
Limited-edition boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Reese's Puffs and Honey Nut Cheerios featuring cereal-inspired tattoo designs help promote the effort in stores and give each brand’s fans a way to promote their favorites.
The grand prize includes a $20,000 cash award, two VIP tickets to Shaq's Fun House (an annual all‑inclusive music festival, carnival and circus event hosted by O’Neal during Super Bowl weekend), $1,000 in spending money, and a meet-and-greet with O'Neal.
Four additional winners receive cereal-themed prize packages, including:
- A Lucky Charms prize featuring two 1-ounce gold bars and a trip for two to Shaq's Fun House.
- A Cinnamon Toast Crunch fan cave designed for watching games, along with tickets to Shaq's Fun House.
- A Reese's Puffs VIP experience that includes spending money, transportation to Shaq's Fun House and a custom Reese's Puffs turntable and sound system.
- A Honey Nut Cheerios prize featuring a cereal bowl-inspired hot tub, themed lawn chairs and tickets to Shaq's Fun House.
Starting Sept. 1, fans can see O’Neal alongside a surprise lineup of cereal superfans in a new ad spot rolling out across TV, streaming and social platforms nationwide.
"I have been eating cereal my whole life, and I'm still just as excited about it now as I was when I was young,” O'Neal said. “Lucky Charms has always been a favorite — those marshmallows never get old to me. This contest is a chance to celebrate that same excitement in fans everywhere who love cereal as much as I do.”
Shoppers can earn $10 in rewards by spending $25 on participating General Mills products through Nov. 28 and uploading their receipt to the ScoreWithGeneralMills.com promotional site.
Fans can also visit the dedicated campaign site through Dec. 31 to enter. The top 100 entries will be reviewed by cereal content creator Ami Moyal (@cereallife). O’Neal will then select the grand prize winner, who will be announced on National Cereal Day, March 7, 2027.
