The Nutri-Grain Bar In The 1990's

Nutri-Grain cereal bars were created by the Kellogg Company and first introduced in the 1970’s Australia. They were later introduced to the United States and other countries. As more women began to work outside the home, the ritual of a family breakfast became obsolete as many individuals turned to quicker solutions for breakfast. The Nutri-Grain bar soon became popular as the on-the-go snack during the 1990’s. The cereal bar also comes in a variety of flavors that kids love, from blueberry to strawberry yogurt and has the texture a soft, homemade cookie. This television commercial centers on the theme of fostering a relationship between today’s kids and nature (see Appendix A). As the youth of today spends more time in the electronic world,

they spend even less time in the natural world. In today’s fast-paced urban environment, many parents possess the longing to reconnect with nature and to share that connection with their children. The commercial intends to appeal to parents’ childhood nostalgia, while at the same time catering to their sense of guilt at not encouraging their children to partake in similar outdoor experiences. However; this wistful longing is not without purpose, for the commercial uses this angle to establish the Nutri-Grain bar as a relevant product in the growth of today’s children.
The commercial also seeks to capture its audience through a broad, overarching theme. Often times, “visual arrangements are such that the advertised good often drops into the background while highly abstract connections are made between the models, a lifestyle and the brand. Viewers are asked to transfer meaning from the look of the people in the ad— their image, lifestyle, and physical appearance—onto the product” (Schroeder and Zwick, 25). This abstract concept of re-establishing a connection with nature permeates each scene. This links the Nutri-Grain bar with a commendable mission to inspire healthy habits in families and allow children to appreciate the outdoors. The implication is this cereal bar is a product that will enable the new generation to reconnect with nature. Apart from the child on the ipad, each person in the commercial is surrounded by the outdoors which gives the cereal bar a very raw and organic connotation, unadulterated by artificiality. Additionally, the scene of a family cycling through the mountains serves to remind adults of a time when the bicycle was a natural extension of their lives and a common method of transportation. This is no longer the case due to buildup of infrastructure. The television commercial is meant to convince parents that consuming Nutri-Grain cereal bars may even be the morally sound solution to the trending issue.
The opening scene of the commercial consist of interviews with adults reminiscing on their most fond childhood memories.

A voiceover asks the characters, “What are some of your most memorable experiences as kids?” A father-daughter duo is interviewed first. The daughter says, “My dad would always take me down to the creek and we’d look at the fish in the pond. As soon as I finished my homework.” Next, one woman who is with her sister responds, “My sisters and I would play hide and seek. Mom would always yell at us for drudging mud into the house afterwards.” These characters use a casual and friendly tone of voice that is familiar with the target audience. A parent telling a child to finish their homework before play, the drudging of mud into the house, spotting fish in the local creek—these images are all too familiar to the western audience and generation of parents. Their stories evoke a sense of longing and return to the past when many individuals are becoming increasingly uncertain aboutthe future. A stark contrast is presented with the child playing on the ipad. The relaxing background music abruptly stops as he candidly states, “I play on my ipad. I think I play games on it for three hours a day. Sometimes more.” The purpose of using a small child for a scene that portrays video games in a negative light (as opposed to an older individual) is due to the fact that a child’s concerns is rarely deemed “offensive” to others. Ultimately it’s the children that can provide

the promise of betterment for the next generation.
Some may argue that the focus on nostalgic elements in the commercial is distracting and actually takes away from product-oriented thinking on the part of the viewer.

However, extensive research has been conducted to test the effectiveness of nostalgic and non-nostalgic commercials. The results of one particular study revealed that advertisements with nostalgic themes are actually quite likely to produce greater recall and preference for the product being advertised (Muehling, 26). Furthermore, a separate investigation “examined individuals’ responses to nostalgic print ads, and observed a positive relationship between ad-evoked nostalgia (measured by a 10-item Likert scale) and attitudes toward the ad and purchase intentions” (Muehling,

26).
The purpose of an interview technique in the commercial is that it evokes a sense of authenticity, which is increasingly becoming a challenge in a world where people can find instant truths about the product they are purchasing. When viewers witness characters responding to a question, it often tricks these viewers into thinking these answers are honest, spur-of-the-moment responses. It seems to depict real people with real concerns and behavior. This style of pitching the product portrays the brand as more down-to-earth than would a typical recitation of a script.
The article Mirrors of Masculinity discusses the modern obsession with celebrities and the ubiquitous images supporting their lucrative roles as product endorsers. It explains how these celebrities “impressed upon their large audience an awareness of physical appearance, instilling a reflexive concern with body, identity, and posterity” (Schroeder and Zwick, 35). As a record-breaking cyclist, adventurer, and broadcaster, Mark Beaumont is considered an athletic icon. In associating himself with the cereal bar, viewers also may associate the product with a toned body and physical attraction. The article also notes that one of the “standard motifs in Western advertising is the “hero” shot—an ad containing an image of a lone man, conquering some territory…”(Schroeder and Zwick, 33). One of the last clips of the commercial features Beaumont cycling through beautiful, mountainous terrain and then pausing to take a bite from his Nutri-Grain bar. This image suggests that those who aspire to become the competitive, masculine hero can do so by purchasing a Nutri-Grain bar.
Perhaps Mark Beaumont has the sporty appeal; however it is ultimately the mother figure that elicits our instinctual food-related response. Patterson and Elliott describe recent societal changes of “the increasing feminization of masculinities, as men are encouraged to partake in the carnival of consumption, to become concerned about their appearance, to get in touch with their emotions…” (Patterson and Elliott, 241). In the final video clip, Beaumont is seen as not only the archetypal rugged athlete but also as a family man who is joined by his young daughter and wife. He says, “I’ve grown up exploring the outdoors. I see what other kids are doing today and it’s scary, they don’t want to leave their video games. I don’t want [my daughter] to grow up missing out on what’s out there.” He therefore contributes to the commercial’s overall theme of the “return to nature” with his own emotional appeal as a concerned parent. His wife pedals ahead as Beaumont and his daughter cycles close behind. According to a study completed by Ellen Verna et. al, “females as dominant characters hardly appeared in ads for games, or foods—although females appeared as dominant with males involved in food and action Ads” (Verna, 306). This concept is not meant imply female subjugation. Rather, it emphasizes the woman’s role as an importance source of care and support for the family. Moreover, “food is an important expression of identity, and the giving of food seems to be closely related to femininity” (Fürst, 442). For this reason, Beaumont’s wife is pictured as physically leading the family in the commercial, to correspond with her role as leading the family figuratively to an advantageous lifestyle. After all, it has often been the mother who provides the means for her children to “become their heroes.” The customer feels compelled to recall the classic mother encouraging her children to eat their vegetables so that they can become big and strong (as portrayed in Beaumont’s lone shot). According to Castillo, individuals “expect healthy eating to be associated with femininity.” The mother, who is at the forefront of change, frames the Nutri-Grain bar with a cultural, primed gender stereotype and also presents the product as the most nutritious option. As the aforementioned scene unfolds, these words appear centered on the screen in small white font: Take them outside. Let them get to know and love nature. The continuous nature of the font makes the sentence appear simple and elegant, yet also very distinctive against the scenic background.
The commercial closes with an image the product itself against a green and yellow-tinted background. Color is a powerful marketing tool that influences consumers and “accounts for 85% of the reason why someone decides to purchase a product” (Tornetta). Studies reveal that “green is primarily associated with nature and elicits positive feelings such as calmness” while “Yellow is associated with sunshine and optimism, promoting the product in a warm and positive manner” (Tornetta). In addition, the commercial does not fail to leave out purported health benefits of consuming the Nutri-Grain bar. This last image of the product implies that the cereal bar provides families with the energy they need to experience outdoors. The description “made with whole grain and real fruit” alludes to the fact that the cereal bar made with more natural ingredients than its competitors. This allows viewers who are contemplating buying a Nutri-Grain bar feel confident that they are making the right decision in purchasing the product for their children. Thus, Nutri-Grain bars good for the soul as well as good for the heart.
This television commercial for Nutri-Grain cereal bars would be especially effective if aired on channels that are rated PG which is often watched by both parent and their children. It sells what the public is looking for—authenticity, by showing that it has values and morals. The commercial dovetails with a trending issue: that many children today have little contact with the natural world due to the amount of time spent indoors. This advertisement therefore has the potential to partner with even larger campaigns, such as Go Green and other environmental initiatives. Parental satisfaction with the product will also fuel the potential for brand loyalty, since “product identification with a member of the older generation acts as a "bridge,” reinforcing a bond of affection and respect” (Olsen). Establishing brand loyalty is advantageous because it costs 15 times less to keep existing customers than to attract new ones” (Marketing Review Panel). It is implied that Nutri-Grain cereal bars are intended to not only serve as a healthy treat but also be a part of the life experiences and memories made enjoying the outdoors, which makes this brand different from other cereal bars. Consequently, “consumers are able to personalize mass-produced products through their unique experiences with these objects” (Dodson). This product’s emotional appeal therefore has a powerful effect on consumer evaluation.