LAKEVILLE, Minn., Dec. 15, 2020 – Inspired by the imaginative fun of the iconic TV show, “The Flintstones,” PEBBLES™ cereal became the first-ever brand created around a media character when it was born in 1971. To celebrate its 50th birthday in 2021, PEBBLES cereal will surprise fans by giving them presents throughout the year.
“Fruity and Cocoa PEBBLES cereals have been bringing kids and kids-at-heart fun and happiness for 50 years. At a time when joy and inspiration are needed more than ever, we wanted to do something to thank and surprise PEBBLES fans next year in honor of the brand’s milestone birthday,” said Amy Brothers, PEBBLES Cereal Brand Manager at Post Consumer Brands. “This brand has always been about igniting creativity, so we hope our fans will join us and get inspired as we Yabba Dabba Doo!™ 2021!”
From the time the first bowl of PEBBLES cereal was poured in 1971 to today, the brand has captured hearts and minds, growing in the process to become the top kids cereal brand, with more than 1.4 billion bowls eaten annually.
First surprise of the year: 50 epic birthday presents
Birthdays are the best day of the year, especially if you’re a kid. For its first presents of the year, PEBBLES is going to help make 50 kids’ birthdays even more epic in 2021 by giving their parents $2,021 each to help them celebrate their big day.
Launching today on the brand’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages and running through Feb. 1, 2021, parents are invited to share why their kid deserves a special birthday present for the chance to win one of 50 cash prizes. Whether it’s an outdoor play set, a trampoline, a new computer or video game system, paying for music lessons or saving for college, PEBBLES wants to make birthday celebrations special next year. Winners will also receive a birthday package from PEBBLES to celebrate their big day.
Birthday fun and surprises continue throughout 2021!
PEBBLES cereal has even more birthday surprises in store throughout 2021.
- Ever notice that Fruity PEBBLES looks a lot like celebration staple confetti? That’s pretty convenient for kicking off PEBBLES big birthday year. To help families everywhere ring in 2021, PEBBLES cereal is hosting a New Year’s Eve countdown on Dec. 31 featuring Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble from Bedrock leading into the 9 p.m. EST hour during “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021,” which airs live beginning at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. The family-friendly countdown will also be available on demand on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages and on PEBBLES cereals’ Facebook page so families can view it at their convenience to celebrate an early countdown before bedtime.
- Leading up to and on New Year’s Eve, PEBBLES’ fans can create their own celebration video using the Fruity PEBBLES confetti branded effect on TikTok to welcome in 2021 in colorful style. Fans can find the Fruity PEBBLES confetti by searching for “PEBBLES confetti” directly through the search bar on the discover page within the TikTok platform, beginning Dec. 28.
- Known for its vibrant colors and intense fruity and cocoa flavors, PEBBLES cereal has long been a favorite ingredient. In 2021, PEBBLES cereal will give fans new ways to enjoy their favorite cereals outside of the bowl through licensed partnerships with other brands, including the recently introduced International Delight Fruity PEBBLES and Cocoa PEBBLES coffee creamers, the new Frankford Candy Fruity PEBBLES candy bar, Dymatize Fruity and Cocoa PEBBLES protein powders, and new Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble PEBBLES 50th birthday Funko Pop! figures. Watch for even more brand collaborations to celebrate PEBBLES 50th birthday coming throughout the year.
- PEBBLES cereals will also introduce commemorative, limited-edition packaging and cereal items, and will help make more kids’ birthday wishes come true through charitable partnerships in 2021.
A fun and delicious history – Yabba Dabba Doo!™
Born through a first-of-its kind licensing agreement, Post Consumer Brands’ PEBBLES cereal is a timeless breakfast classic that families have known and loved for the last 50 years.
Looking for an opportunity to differentiate, Post partnered with Hanna-Barbera, now part of Warner Bros., to use “The Flintstones” characters for a brand of its cereals. After some product testing, Fruity PEBBLES and Cocoa PEBBLES cereals, featuring vibrant colors and shapes that resembled Stone Age rocks, were introduced nationwide in 1971.
Prior to that time, character licensing had only been used for product promotions. PEBBLES cereal became the first brand ever to be created around a media character — Fred and Wilma Flintstone’s daughter, Pebbles, the story of whose birth began with an episode called “The Surprise” during the show’s third season in 1963.
A delicious product that appeals to all ages combined with a name based on iconic TV characters turned the cereal into an instant hit. To this day, PEBBLES is a cereal that rocks. With vibrant colors, intense aromas and delicious flavors fans love, it continues to spark the imagination in kids and kids-at-heart.
Follow PEBBLES cereal on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to know about other exciting birthday surprises throughout the year and tag the brand using #HappyBirthdayPEBBLESCereal. To learn more about the PEBBLES cereal brand, visit pebblescereal.com.
EDITORS’ NOTE: For additional historical information and images, email post@clynch.com.
THE FLINTSTONES and all related characters and elements copyright and trademark Hanna-Barbera. (s20)
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), a WarnerMedia Company, extends the Studio’s powerful portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBCP partners with best-in-class licensees globally on an award-winning range of toys, fashion, home décor, and publishing inspired by franchises and properties such as DC, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, HBO, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The division’s successful global themed entertainment business includes groundbreaking experiences such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. With innovative global licensing and merchandising programs, retail initiatives, promotional partnerships and themed experiences, WBCP is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
About Post Consumer Brands
Post Consumer Brands is a business unit of Post Holdings Inc., formed from the combination of Post Foods and MOM Brands in May 2015. Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands today is the third largest cereal company in the United States, with a broad portfolio of products spanning all segments of the category — from iconic household name brands and value ready-to-eat cereals to natural/organic and hot cereal varieties. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make better happen every day. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com.