Cheerios remakes iconic 1999 holiday ad to spotlight the importance of connecting with loved ones this holiday season

Stemming from consumer excitement and engagement on TikTok, Cheerios has remade an iconic holiday ad that originally aired in 1999. The ad acknowledges that while this year’s holiday season will be different, it is more important than ever to connect with your loved ones.

In the original ad, a grandma is seen in the kitchen sharing a story with her granddaughter that while the family may be spread all over the country, nothing was going to stop this grandma from spending time with her grandchild on Christmas. In the updated ad, the original grandma, and original now grown-up granddaughter, still connect on Christmas morning but in a very 2020 way.

The idea to recreate this ad was started on TikTok with a post in late November that referenced the 1999 ad. After seeing all the heart-felt responses, the Cheerios team knew it had to recreate this treasured ad despite the tight timeframe before Christmas.

“Our team was up for the challenge after we saw all the emotional comments from people who watched and remembered the 1999 ad,” said Kathy Dixon, senior brand experience manager for Cheerios. “We wanted to make it happen for our fans - especially since many Americans will be postponing or modifying their holiday plans to connect with friends and families in order to protect the health of their loved ones this year.”

The team shot each of the actors separately, following COVID-19 safety guidelines.

To see the original ad from 1999 and the ad just released, visit the A Taste of General Mills blog.

About General Mills 
General Mills is a leading global food company whose purpose is to make food the world loves. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie’s, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Häagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, BLUE and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2020 net sales of U.S. $17.6 billion. In addition, General Mills’ share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.0 billion.