Editing Cheerios (section)

==Advertising==
Many television commercials for Cheerios have targeted children, featuring animated characters (such as a [[Honey bee]]). [[Bullwinkle J. Moose|Bullwinkle]] was featured in early 1960s commercials, with the tagline at the end of the ad being "Go with Cheerios!" followed by Bullwinkle, usually worse for wear due to his Cheerios-inspired bravery somewhat backfiring, saying "...but watch where you're going!" [[Hoppity Hooper]] was also featured in ads in the mid-1960s; General Mills was the primary sponsor of his animated program.

===Cheeri O'Leary===

This cartoon character, a cheery young girl, was seen in 1942–1943 magazine advertising and Sunday newspaper's comics sections. These ads were multi-panel cartoons where Cheeri O'Leary interacted with entertainers of the day, including [[Charlotte Greenwood]], [[Barbara Stanwyck]], [[Dick Powell]], [[Joan Blondell]], [[Johnny Mack Brown]],<ref>"Johnny Mack Brown Meets Cheeri O'Leary." Philadelphia Inquirer, 16 August 1942.</ref> [[Betty Hutton]],<ref>"Cheeri O'Leary Learns How Betty Huttton Won Stardom Almost Overnight." Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 July 1943.</ref> and [[Claudette Colbert]].<ref>"Cheeri O'Leary Visits Lovely Claudette Colbert, Brightest Star in Hollywood."  Philadelphia Inquirer, 5 September 1943.</ref> The character disappeared from ads in 1944, but reappeared in 1946 in ads that mostly featured Joe.<ref>"Joe Feels His Oats."  Washington Evening Star, 14 July 1946.</ref>

===Joe===

Beginning in 1944, a cartoon boy, simply named "Joe" appeared in ads placed in Sunday newspaper comics sections.<ref>"Crispy Crunchy, Little Doughnuts Toasty Brown."  Washington Evening Star, 17 September 1944.</ref>

===The Cheerios Kid===
Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing through the early 1960s, "The Cheerios Kid" was a mainstay in Cheerios commercials. The Kid, after eating Cheerios, quickly dealt with whatever problem presented in the commercial, using oat-produced "Big-G, little-o" "Go-power." By the late 1960s, there was a jingle called "Get Yourself Go" (written by [[Neil Diamond]]), which played as the two used power to solve the problem. The character was revived briefly in the late 1980s in similar commercials. In 2012, The Cheerios Kid and his sidekick Sue were revived in an internet video that showed how Cheerios "can lower cholesterol."<ref name="AdAge">{{cite web |url=http://adage.com/article/news/general-mills-brings-back-green-giant-cheerios-kid-nostalgic-appeal/237230/ |title=General Mills Brings Back Green Giant, Cheerios Kid In Nostalgic Appeal |first=E.J. |last=Schultz |date=September 17, 2012 |work=[[Advertising Age]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PeD6ceb6uI |title=1950s-1970s Cheerios Commercials (The Cheerios Kid) |date=November 28, 2010 |publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}<!-- cited by Advertising Age --></ref> Video clips of "the Kid" and Sue are part of a montage included in a 2014 TV commercial, along with clips of the [[Honey Nut Cheerios]] bee's early commercials.

===''Peanuts''===
In 1984 and 1985, characters from the comic strip ''[[Peanuts]]'' were featured in many Cheerios commercials. In the commercials, the characters become tired in the middle of performing an activity (e.g. taking a dance lesson, or playing tennis), but then another character tells them that they did not have a healthy Cheerios breakfast. Then, at the end of the commercial, the character would be energized, followed by children singing "You're on your toes with Cheerios!"

===Spoonfuls of Stories===
The Spoonfuls of Stories program, begun in 2002, is sponsored by Cheerios and a 50/50 joint venture of General Mills and [[Simon & Schuster]]. Mini-sized versions of Simon & Schuster children's books are published within the program when the book drive occurs.<ref name="SnS">{{cite web |url=http://pages.simonandschuster.com/spoonfulsofstories/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105045253/http://pages.simonandschuster.com/spoonfulsofstories/|archive-date=2014-01-05 |title=Cheerios – Spoonsfuls of Stories |publisher=Simon and Schuster |access-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/education/commercialism/sponsorship.html#books |first=Sharon |last=Beder |title=Sponsorship and Donations – Book Donations |work=Business Managed Democracy |access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> The program also includes a New Author contest; winners' books are published in miniature inside boxes of Cheerios.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16074743-the-lost-and-found-balloon# |title=The Lost (and Found) Balloon by Celeste Jenkins, Maria Bogade |publisher=GoodReads.com |access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pages.simonandschuster.com/spoonfulsofstories/contest|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105045212/http://pages.simonandschuster.com/spoonfulsofstories/contest|archive-date=2014-01-05 |title=Cheerios – Spoonsfuls of Stories – New Author Contest |publisher=Simon and Schuster |access-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref>

===Shawn Johnson===
In 2009, Olympic gold medalist and World Champion gymnast [[Shawn Johnson]] became the first athlete to have her photo featured on the front of the Cheerios box. The limited edition was distributed in the Midwestern region of the United States by the [[Hy-Vee]] grocery store chain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19622027.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924190051/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19622027.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |title=Front sports briefs |work=Dubuque [[Telegraph Herald]]
|date=December 14, 2008 |agency=The Associated Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hy-vee.com/shop/Special-Promotions/Shawn-Johnson-Cheerios-Box-P10527C88.aspx |title=Special Promotions – Shawn Johnson Cheerios Box |publisher=Hy-Vee.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521075423/http://www.hy-vee.com/shop/Special-Promotions/Shawn-Johnson-Cheerios-Box-P10527C88.aspx |archive-date=May 21, 2011}}</ref>

===Just Checking===

In 2013, a Cheerios commercial aired, titled "Just Checking," showcasing an [[interracial marriage|interracial family]] in which a daughter asks her mother (white) if Cheerios is good for the heart, as her father (black) mentioned. The mother says the cereal is suitable according to the box which states that whole grain oats lower cholesterol. The next scene features the father waking up as a pile of Cheerios spills down his chest, which the daughter placed there having taken her father's words literally. The commercial received unintentional notoriety due to intense backlash. This was so extreme that General Mills disabled further comments on the video.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/31/cheerios_ad_with_interracial_couple_sparks_racist_anger_video.html |title=Cheerios Ad Brings Out the Racists |work=Slate |date=31 May 2013 |access-date=26 October 2014 |author=Harris, Aisha}}</ref> In 2014, General Mills released a [[Super Bowl advertising|Super Bowl ad]] titled "Gracie," featuring the same family: in the commercial, the father, using Cheerios to illustrate his meaning, tells the daughter that a new baby is coming, that her mother is pregnant, and the daughter accepts this—as long as they also get a puppy—and the father agrees, while the mother looks a little surprised.

===Vortexx===
To promote the premiere of the [[Vortexx]] Saturday morning block on [[The CW]] Television Network in August 2012, special boxes of Cheerios were branded as "Vortexx O's," complete with the schedule on the back, and the wordmark plastered on one of the Vortexx promotional backgrounds. Toys were also included in the box, featuring [[John Cena]], [[Iron Man]], and the Pink [[Power Ranger]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

===Good Goes Around===
In 2017, Latrell James was hired to sing a song for a new Cheerios commercial, with the refrain "Good goes around and around and around."<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Bodden|first1=Shawn|last2=Chakrabarti|first2=Meghna|date=June 23, 2017|title=Latrell James, Boston-Based Rapper, Makes Good Go Around|url=https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2017/06/23/latrell-james-cheerios|access-date=2020-12-21|website=wbur.org|language=en}}</ref>

===Murray the Brave===
In May 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Canada]], it partnered with [[Food Banks Canada]] to do a tribute to food bank workers.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Strategy (magazine)|Strategy]] |url=https://strategyonline.ca/2020/05/06/cheerios-pivots-its-olympic-platform-to-cheer-on-food-bank-workers/ |title=Cheerios pivots its Olympic platform to 'cheer' on food bank workers |first=Christopher |last=Lombardo |date=6 May 2020 |quote=The General Mills brand is using the ad space originally slated for Olympic-themed creative to showcase Murray, an animated everyman based on an actual food bank volunteer meant to personify workers everywhere. With pastel hues, 'Murray the Brave' is shown boxing up food for those in need in a 30-second spot, including Cheerios}}</ref>

===Return of "Cheerioats" for 80th Anniversary===

Beginning in July 2021, a limited re-release of Cheerios cereal was made across North American markets by reusing the original-brand name "Cheerioats" instead of "Cheerios." Cheerioats used the same ingredients as modern-day Cheerios but were repackaged in a throwback campaign to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Cheerios cereals being sold (1941–2021).<ref>{{cite web |title=Cheerios Returns to Original Cheerioats Name to Celebrate its 80th Anniversary |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cheerios-returns-original-cheerioats-name-120000243.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGc4aT4e68DZ9JO8fcP3r9hUwHqtP3rqsjrPWUPUKAC_WV_IHzI-aSnkoH5p-7y8aIT2lMoJB3BsOgarUMDWgfOEuBY85KBsyFmvfqqNe068WqZyt9oMNJ8d6Z1om0RxBden9Jj9wsnSa9zj17TQuCNlAzOhINxvLsRUJH7QEFwe |website=yahoo.com |access-date=28 September 2021}}</ref>