The thing all college students have been waiting for has finally happened: drunchies are making a real appearance on grocery store shelves. By “drunchies,” of course, I mean the ideal foods to munch on after a drunk night out, when hunger strikes at 2 am. While there have always been plenty of late-night food options, drunchies are often an afterthought. Pizza places stay open past midnight and sandwich shops and wing joints around college campuses cater to students’ party lifestyles. The food gets notably less healthy, too, as the night goes on (Northwestern students, just think of Cheesie’s). But the world had yet to see a major marketing effort targeted specifically toward drunchies… until now.
According to AP, Kellogg’s has been experiencing falling cereal sales as consumers seek healthier breakfasts, such as eggs, Greek yogurt or a smoothie. Even an ad campaign focused on cereal’s nutritional benefits didn’t seem to be cutting it. So now, Kellogg’s is focusing on marketing their cereals for nighttime eating. The Consumerist shows Kellogg’s new, limited-edition boxes of cereal, covered in starry skies, so they stand out from the normal, lighter colored boxes around them.
Kellogg’s has thought about the health benefits, too. The fine print on the back of the new box suggests the cereal as an alternative to milk and cookies for the late-night snacker—in other words, not exactly the healthiest option, but definitely an improvement on some other common midnight snacks. As a self-proclaimed health freak, I have to say I agree, to some extent. If you’re going to be eating late at night, reaching for a box of cereal is definitely a better option than a bag of cookies or the dreaded, artery-clogging pizza or mozzarella sticks.
While this new marketing tactic may be unconventional, it’s sure to reach a targeted audience of late-night snackers across college campuses.
Photo by Gabby Phi