BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WTVF) — For the first time in more than a decade, Kellogg's is putting toys back inside cereal boxes as part of a promotion for Toy Story 5.
The special-edition boxes arrive nationwide April 26, reviving a longtime breakfast tradition that once had children digging through cereal for prizes hidden at the bottom.
I definitely remember the tradition, and it goes back to the 1950s. Through the early 2000s, cereal aisle treasures became part of growing up. Prizes ranged from figurines to games and glow-in-the-dark gadgets.
Fun fact: prize promotions go back even further. Early cereal companies used mail-in offers and token rewards in the early 1900s before in-box prizes became a booming trend later in the century. General Mills helped popularize the concept in the 1930s with trading card promotions, while Kellogg's and other brands later filled boxes with buttons, toys and pop culture tie-ins.
By the mid-2000s, cereal box toys began to fade. Rising production costs, packaging changes, environmental concerns and child-safety standards all likely played a role. In many cases, physical toys were replaced by comic books, online games or QR-code promotions.
The tradition never disappeared entirely. General Mills and other brands have occasionally brought back toys for nostalgia-themed promotions.
Kellogg's said the new campaign is meant to bring back hands-on, screen-free fun for families.
Toy Story 5 opens in theaters June 19.
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