The Toast With The Most: Fast Horse Helps General Mills Launch Tiny Toast


Earlier this summer, Fast Horse teamed up with General Mills to launch Tiny Toast, the company’s first all-new cereal brand in more than 15 years. For such an iconic cereal company, this was a big deal. We developed a robust plan to generate awareness for the new cereal, which included an all-in media relations offensive, influencer outreach and content partnerships with some of today’s top online stars.

We kicked things off in early June with a full-scale media relations push, hitting TV, radio, print and online media with the biggest tiny news ever. Not only was this the first new cereal from General Mills in 15 years, but Tiny Toast is also one of only a few offerings in the entire category flavored with real fruit. It was a great story, and thanks to a well-timed media strategy and a truly delicious product, it was one of our most successful PR campaigns ever. From local TV news stations to national outlets, the arrival of Tiny Toast blanketed the media so thoroughly we caught the attention of writers at The Tonight Show and The Late Show.

I remember getting the call that Tiny Toast was going to be included in Stephen Colbert’s monologue and excitedly tuning in, expecting a quippy punchline or two. Imagine my surprise when Colbert’s monologue was interrupted by Skrillex and Chance the Rapper, who “remixed” the news about Tiny Toast for a solid four minutes. For a brand that’s trying to connect with young adults, it was a dream come true — a dream that quickly turned into a fantasy scenario a few nights later when Jimmy Fallon added Tiny Toast to his opening monologue, as well. Consumers were asking grocery store managers when Tiny Toast was arriving and reaching out to General Mills directly to try to track down a box — a cereal star had been born.

Immediately following the media launch, we sent first-taste samples of the product to influential cereal lovers before it was available nationwide. The shipment came in an eye-catching branded box, and recipients immediately took to their social channels to share their review of Tiny Toast. The verdict? From NBA players to YouTube stars, the people loved the taste of Tiny Toast.

We kept the momentum going by partnering with a dozen top online content creators. We identified partners who fit the brand’s quirky style of humor and reached our young adult audience, and worked with them to develop engaging branded content in their signature styles. From dedicated YouTube videos to Snapchat stories, the content was fun and fresh. Most importantly, fans were engaged, commenting “BRB, gotta go get some Tiny Toast” and “best sponsored video I’ve ever watched.” Our partners also pushed fans to Tiny Toast’s social channels with great success, raising average opens on the brand’s organic Snapchat content by 900 percent.

Check out these highlights, and then get your hands on a bowl of Tiny Toast!