If you're a parent, you might have noticed that Rice Krispies Treats feature a blank white heart on the packaging meant as a place to write a quick note before tucking them into a kid's lunch. But what if a child can't see?
That's the premise of an effort the snack brand is kicking off Tuesday in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind. The company has created sticker sheets featuring messages in Braille that are shaped like the heart, meant to be stuck on the little blue packs. There are also boxes sized to fit one treat with a recording device that can store a 10-second message, for kids who are auditory learners or don't read Braille. The brand says there are more than 62,000 U.S. school children who are blind or low-vision.
The Braille stickers were manufactured by Gallas Label & Decal, a Chicago-based maker of custom labels. It says its braille labels are available with either a clear polypropylene or clear polyethylene film substrate.
The audio boxes, which can record a new message more than 1,000 times, were manufactured by Americhip Inc. of Gardena, Calif.
Rice Krispies Treats began featuring the blank heart on its packaging meant as a space for a written note, in the summer of 2017.
"We knew that the notes were something that were working very strongly with our consumers," says Emily Minardi, associate marketing director for Rice Krispies Treats. Now, it's taking that idea and "making it more accessible."
The project begins with giveaways of up to 6,000 sheets of stickers and 1,500 recording devices. The stickers include eight different notes of encouragement, including "you've got this," "you're a star," and "love you lots."
Kellogg says the notes were inspired by Eme Butler-Mitchell, an 11-year-old girl the company was introduced to by the National Federation of the Blind.
"Being blind is just the same, but different," Butler-Mitchell says in a video that explains the project.
Earlier this month, Kellogg Co. executives speaking during a quarterly conference call highlighted Rice Krispies Treats as a brand that is "really on fire," so much so that it's having a hard time even keeping up with production.
Kellogg Co. founder W.K. Kellogg went blind later in life. He also started his namesake foundation, which among other outreach, helps with resources for children with disabilities in schools.
Krispr, the Kellogg-focused unit of Edelman, was behind the project, with Starcom providing media support. Leo Burnett/R24 also helped create the "Love Notes" landing page and will be doing social on the campaign.
