How Pop-Tarts is leaning into Jerry Seinfeld’s new movie

Even though Kellanova was not involved in the making of an upcoming movie about Pop-Tarts, that isn’t stopping the brand from seizing on it as a marketing opportunity. Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix film “Unfrosted” is a fictional comedy about the Pop-Tarts origin story. Ahead of the film’s release on May 3, Kellanova and the filmmakers partnered to make a short film and a sweepstakes in a way to show the brand’s support of the movie. The digital short, written by and starring Seinfeld, was made by Publicis Groupe-owned creative collective Le Truc and Netflix’s marketing partnerships team. In the short, Seinfeld meets with Pop-Tarts executives (and a Pop-Tarts mascot), who accuse Seinfeld of trademark infringement for using the Pop-Tarts name without permission. So the executives steal some of Seinfeld’s IP, including well-known characters from his hit sitcom—attorney Jackie Chiles, girlfriend “Schmoopy” Sheila and the Soup Nazi. The meeting ends with the Pop-Tarts team showing the fictional show “People in Pontiacs Eating Pop-Tarts,” a riff on Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” “When Seinfeld hijacks your brand story, the response isn’t a lawsuit, it’s to get in on the fun,” Julia Neumann, Le Truc’s partner and chief creative officer, said in a statement. “Our digital short is based on the true story of Jerry not asking for permission to create ‘Unfrosted,’ a movie not brought to you by Pop-Tarts. Having Seinfeld tell Pop-Tarts’ origination story is bigger than any branding opportunity we could have imagined, but hijacking his IP in return might just be the frosting on top.” Seinfeld directed, wrote, and stars in the fictional comedy with Melissa McCarthy and Hugh Grant. The movie is about the rivalry between Kellogg’s and Post (the maker of Honey Bunches of Oats and Fruity Pebbles cereals) as they race to create a breakfast pastry. The film stems from Seinfeld’s Pop-Tart joke, where he questions why any other foods would be created when a pack of Pop-Tarts is perfect: one for each toaster slot, and they don’t go bad. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here Telling the origin stories of brands—real or fictional—has been a popular movie plot line of late. And it is not unusual for the subjected brands to be sidelined during the process. Nike was not involved in the making of “Air,” the 2023 Ben Affleck-directed movie about Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan. PepsiCo did not partake in the filming of Eva Longoria’s 2023 movie “Flamin’ Hot,” a fictional account of how a janitor came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which was based on the discredited janitor’s memoir. And McDonald’s sat out “The Founder,” the true story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who met the McDonald’s brothers and maneuvered his way into owning and franchising the burger chain. But Pop-Tarts doesn’t seem to be worried about being the named brand in “Unfrosted.” Along with the short, Kellanova is giving fans a chance to win limited-edition boxes of “Trat-Pops”—a nod to a plot point in the film related to a typo. Consumers can enter for a chance to win by sharing their first and last name, email address and birth date. The campaign comes at a time when Pop-Tarts has found itself popping up in more cultural conversations. The brand sponsored the Pop-Tarts Bowl late last year, which ended in the toaster pastry mascot going viral for being lowered into a giant toaster, and then eaten by the winning team. The brand later heard that Taylor Swift had a homemade Pop-Tarts recipe and placed a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star asking her to share it. “While Pop-Tarts was not part of the making of the movie, we’re excited about the opportunity to be a part of the viewing experience, and hope that fans enjoy the film with a Pop-Tarts toaster pastry of their choice in hand,” Heidi Ray, Pop-Tarts’ senior director of brand marketing, said in a statement. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

How Pop-Tarts is leaning into Jerry Seinfeld’s new movie

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