Nostalgic Flavors and Mystery Muffins: Food Trends Take Center Stage
Reese's Puffs and Little Bites are leading the charge in the latest food trends, with a focus on nostalgic flavors and interactive experiences.
Reese's Puffs, owned by General Mills, has launched a new limited-time cereal based on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The cereal, called Reese's Puffs PB+J Cups, combines the signature peanut butter and chocolate cereal with a strawberry jelly flavor. This move follows the success of Reese's PB&J cups, which Hershey introduced last year.
The launch is part of General Mills' strategy to lean into nostalgia for the Reese's brand. The company is offering temporary tattoos as a throwback to the days of cereal box prizes, and the cereal is available at retailers nationwide until supply runs out.
Cereal brands are relying more on nostalgic flavors and experiences in a bid to appeal to millennial and Gen X parents who grew up with the breakfast staple. WK Kellogg included cereal box toys for the first time in more than a decade as part of a tie-in with "Toy Story 5," which experts say could bring parents back into the cereal aisle and discover other adult-oriented options.
Little Bites, owned by Entenmann's manufacturer Bimbo Bakeries, is asking consumers to help solve a mystery with their new Mystery Muffin. Consumers have until September 2 to submit their entry with the chance to win a personalized celebration. Little Bites isn't necessarily looking for the right answer, instead encouraging consumers to put forward the "whackiest, silliest or most imaginative" suggestions.
The name of the Mystery Muffin could be inspired by a memory or feeling, and the brand shared options like "Butterfly Sunshine!" or "Dancing on Unicorn Clouds!" as examples. Contest finalists will face off in three fan-voted, bracket-style elimination rounds where Little Bites fans will choose their favorite flavor name.
Food companies have increasingly turned to mystery flavors to drum-up attention on social media, increase the playfulness of their brands, and provide another opportunity to interact with the public. Mondelēz launched a mystery flavor for Chips Ahoy! last month and has previously done the same with Oreo. And in 2023, Coca-Cola launched a mystery flavor that was co-created with human and artificial intelligence.
7 Brew, an Arkansas-based chain of drive-thru coffee shops, is bringing its coffee and energy drinks to the CPG space for the first time. The lineup includes three ready-made espresso drinks based on offerings popular in the chain's storefronts: The Blondie, Brunette Brownie, and Banana Bread. 7 Brew is also launching five energy drinks anchored by original and sugar-free original, as well as Ocean Breeze, Nightshade, and Pink Mermaid.
The new product lineup will debut in 4,400 Walmart stores across the country beginning this month. The launch builds on a test in Arkansas earlier this year. 7 Brew is now competing on store shelves with ready-to-drink latte brands including Starbucks and La Colombe, in addition to a vast variety of flavor-forward energy drinks across brands.
A CPG debut could give the fast-growing coffee chain a leg up against competitors in the drive-thru coffee business, particularly Dutch Bros and Scooter's Coffee.
