Bob McCarty Writes

The Kellogg Company seems to be pushing the envelope these days. The folks in Battle Creek, Mich., have entered into a licensing agreement with Under the Hood, an outfit — pardon the pun — that’s putting the likenesses of several Kellogg cereal icons on a new line of clothing targeting urban consumers.

Upon visiting the company’s media room, I could find no evidence that Kellogg had had any involvement in publicizing the clothing line and, as Martha Stewart says, “That’s a good thing.” Such a lack of evidence convinced me that the company’s foray into urban clothing is a tacit effort aimed at earning “street cred” — and boosting sales in urban areas — for the company’s cereal brands.

While the effort is likely to result in a great deal of “earned media” (i.e., news coverage gained through grassroots action or as a result of nontraditional activities), it holds much potential to generate the kind of attention Kellogg does not want or need — especially in light of rising prices on the cereal aisle, but I digress.

Below are some examples of the negative publicity Kellogg might receive for their tacit involvement in this effort:

• Imagine the first time a gang member is arrested for domestic violence and, in his mugshot, he’s shown wearing a $100 Honey Smacks® Hoodie;

• Think about the negative reaction cereal lovers might have after seeing an eyewitness on the evening news describe an inner-city shooting suspect as wearing a “Snap! Crackle! Pop!®” jacket like the one shown at right; and, finally

• Contemplate the negative backlash that might result after someone responsible for dozens of heinous murders is finally brought to justice and a mugshot of him — wearing this new brand of clothing (a pair of jeans, a shirt and a jacket) — is broadcast worldwide. For the first time ever, Americans will find themselves staring into the face of a genuine “cereal killer.”

Hat tips: Gawker, Advertising Age and Satchel of Gravel.

Note: Thanks for indulging this lengthy effort aimed at including “cereal killer” in a post.