Beloved cereal goes 'serial killer dark' for new ad
Cannibalism, creepy fridges, and a nostalgic twist: this new ad goes there.
Growing up, cereal wasn’t just breakfast; it was a snack and often my version of dessert.
I’d pour some into a cup (dry, no milk) and snack on it while watching TV. I’d rotate between whatever brands we had in the pantry, but the sugary ones were always the best. They felt special, like a treat I wasn’t supposed to have too often.
My favorite, hands down, was Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I’d save it for last like the reward it was. The flavor? Unmatched. The cinnadust? Iconic. Even the little crunch it made was satisfying.
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It wasn’t just a cereal...it was an experience. And based on how often it showed up in my friends’ snack bags or birthday party sleepovers, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
These days, I don’t get the same cravings for sweet, processed cereal. I’m more of a clean-ingredient, protein-heavy, "what has the fewest additives?" kind of shopper now. But I still have a soft spot for the classics, especially the ones tied to childhood.
So when I saw the new General Mills ad for Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I stopped scrolling. All I can say is that whoever came up with that campaign deserves a raise.
That thing had serial-killer energy and breakfast-level charm, and I was not ready.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch goes full true crime
The new Cinnamon Toast Crunch campaign "Must Cinnadust" doesn’t just dip a toe into dark humor. It dives headfirst into full-blown cereal cannibalism. And somehow, it works.
In one ad titled "Fridge," a lone cereal square confesses in voiceover, "I didn't want to be this way...I know how horrific it is" while peering into a fridge filled with body parts...of other cereal squares.
Another shows a square stalking its next victim in a back alley. There’s even a six-second clip where plastic wrap is carefully unrolled before the attack — clearly nodding to the prep scenes in "American Psycho" or "Dexter."
It’s creepy. It’s absurd. It’s also kind of brilliant.
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According to Marketing Dive, the creative ad comes from The Martin Agency, which said the General Mills team leaned into the shock value early on. They weren’t afraid to get weird, because weird sticks, especially with Gen Z (and let's be honest, me too).
This generation grew up with these cereal mascots. Now, as older teens and young adults, they’re hungry for content that’s smarter, more layered, and totally self-aware.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch didn’t modernize its brand...it just turned the nostalgia dial up to 11 and added a body count.
Why going dark might pay off for General Mills
If this campaign has me sending the video to my millennial friends, you know it’s cutting through. That kind of organic buzz is exactly what brands chase, and it could translate into real business results.
In fact, General Mills’ cereal revenue dipped slightly in 2024 to $3.19 billion, down from $3.21 billion the year before. With growth softening, bold creative may be less of a gamble and more of a necessity.
The ads weren’t just funny. They were engineered for shareability. And in a culture obsessed with true crime and dark humor, it hits exactly the right nerve.
Stop-motion visuals, meme-worthy one-liners, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter eggs (like cookbooks titled "Killer Recipes" and "Breakfast to Die For") made them perfect for TikTok, Instagram, and commentary videos.
The campaign was a culture drop — designed to live across fragmented feeds, pop up in unexpected places, and be talked about.
Cereal isn’t exactly a growth category, so getting younger audiences to care again is a real win.
Because let's be real — if your cereal isn’t going a little off the rails in 2025, are you even marketing?
