Let them eat cereal: The Kellogg’s boycott, explained

Every day our society slips further and further into a dystopian nightmare, it would be funny if it wasn’t so utterly depressing. Kellogg’s has decided to capitalize on the misery of the public with an ad campaign so tone-deaf it’s started a revolution on TikTok.

The last few years have been tough for so many people, I don’t really need to say much more, we’ve all been through it. For some it’s even been a challenge just to put food on the table, and that’s where Kellogg’s come in. The company has caused uproar recently after its CEO, Gary Pilnick, brought up the idea of having cereal for dinner on CNBC. TikToker Hoolie_r posted the clip online asking, “what stage of capitalism is this?”

There is also an ad campaign in which Tony the Tiger bursts into a family’s living room chanting “when I say cereal you say dinner.” Oh, how far you’ve fallen Tony. And I used to think he was such a nice guy.

Whilst some might watch that ad and not see the more sinister side to it, Pilnick’s comments really drive home how evil it all is.

“Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now, and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure.”

So Kellogg’s have seen that the consumer is struggling, people like Gary Pilnick know that thousands are under pressure, but rather than seeing it as a catastrophe, they see this as an opportunity to make a quick buck. What’s worse is the fact that the company’s products have risen in price by 28% over the past four years according to the Guardian. Oh and cereal isn’t a healthy alternative to dinner, it’s not even the healthiest option for breakfast, it’s part of a healthy breakfast, Cereal on its own is low in fiber and protein.

People are planning to boycott

Obviously, many are outraged by Kellogg’s sleazy attempt to capitalize on the suffering of those who aren’t so well off and we all know that the only way to make a corporation pay is by affecting their bottom line. TikToker Tallgirl6234 is leading the charge, and the plan is simple: from April 1 customers need to boycott all Kellogg’s products for two months, no Corn Flakes, no Eggos, no nothing. Doing so will hopefully send the message loud and clear that if Kellogg’s really want to promote cereal for dinner, the least they could do is lower the price.

People are taking this very seriously, such is the level of upset amongst consumers. A TikTok posted by James Li breaks down exactly how it could be possible to bankrupt Kellogg’s and others are posting video updates of the company’s stock which could be seeing a sharp decline very soon.

The success of the plan hinges on the dedication to the cause. Sometimes, when people are able to band together, they’re able to make some real changes. Unfortunately, there are sometimes some unforeseen consequences — for example, the Starbucks boycott, which is still ongoing.