Kellogg said it is bringing plastic toys back into some cereal boxes, starting Sunday, in a campaign tied to Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” which is scheduled to reach theaters in June. The company said it will put the toys into special edition packages of Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, AppleJacks and Corn Pops.
The cereal brand is returning to a practice that once stood out in breakfast aisles, when plastic novelty items were commonly included with cereal. Kellogg said the program marks a return after more than a decade in which toys were not broadly included in those boxes.
Kellogg framed the promotion as more than a marketing gimmick, describing it as an added opportunity for families to interact. Laura Newman, Kellogg’s vice president of brand marketing, said in a statement that “Bringing toys back inside the box reintroduces that sense of discovery through a simple, screen-free moment of play that parents can now share with their own kids.”
The company’s decision comes as some collectors continue to trade older cereal-toy items from past decades. On eBay, the company cited listings from years such as 1989 and the 1980s, including items described as a Batman coin bank from a 1989 Ralston cereal box, a miniature stuffed bear from a Post Super Golden Crisp box from the 1980s, and a tiny plastic “atomic submarine” from a 1950s Kellogg’s Corn Flakes package.
But the return of cereal toys also revives concerns that have shaped the category for years. Kellogg noted that the idea of putting toys in cereal boxes drew criticism in 2004 when the company faced scrutiny for including Spider-Man watches with mercury batteries. The company also referenced an earlier 1988 recall of “cool flute” and “binoculars” toys after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed them choking hazards.
Kellogg said it chose “Toy Story 5” as a fit for the reintroduction, saying the movie explores the role of toys in a tech-driven world. Kellogg also pointed to the fact that cereal-toy promotions have appeared from time to time, including a 2020 “Cereal Squad” set of toy figurines from General Mills.