Shreddies: Diamond Shreddies
Kraft Foods Canada challenged Ogilvy & Mather Toronto to revitalize the 60 - year - old Shreddies brand. Despite high product satisfaction, sales were declining as the cereal was perceived as boring. The goal was to return Shreddies to a leadership position in the Canadian breakfast market by making consumers think about the brand again without changing the actual recipe or manufacturing process.
Creative Idea
Rotated the square cereal 45 degrees and marketed it as a revolutionary new diamond shape.
To revitalize a stagnant 68 - year - old cereal, the brand re - engineered its square product by rotating it 45 degrees into a diamond shape, using a deadpan mock - scientific campaign to prove that perception is more powerful than physical changes.
The Forty Five Degree Rotation That Saved a Brand
The Intern Who Joked His Way to a Full Time Job
During a high - pressure brainstorming session at Ogilvy & Mather Toronto, 26 - year - old intern Hunter Somerville held up a single Shreddie, rotated it 45 degrees, and jokingly suggested it was a "diamond." While Somerville initially dismissed it as his "stupidest, worst idea," Co - Chief Creative Officers Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin recognized the brilliance of the parody. The joke was so effective that Somerville was hired full - time immediately following the campaign's launch.
Real Reactions to Geometric Superiority
Director Michael Downing and improv comedian Kerry Griffin used a "straight - faced" documentary style to capture genuine consumer reactions. In focus groups, 15 out of 16 participants were so convinced by the mock - scientific "45 - degree rotational technology" that they allowed their footage to be used after the prank was revealed. Remarkably, 66% of consumers in an online poll claimed to prefer the diamond shape, with some participants insisting the new version tasted "crunchier" and "more flavorful" than the original square.
Market Dominance Through Intangible Value
The campaign’s impact was immediate, driving an 18% increase in baseline sales within the first month. Limited edition "Diamond Shreddies" boxes, intended to last four months, sold out in just eight weeks. To further the meta - commentary on marketing, the brand released a Combo Pack containing both shapes in a single bag. This "intangible added value" became a landmark case study in perception, proving that a brand could achieve 50% higher recall than competitors without spending a cent on product R&D.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A legacy cereal brand with high quality but a stagnant, square personality that lacked excitement and shelf visibility.
Category
Breakfast cereals often rely on expensive product innovations or health claims to regain market share and consumer interest.
Customer
Consumers who liked the product but found it boring and had stopped noticing it during their morning routines.
Culture
A culture increasingly skeptical of marketing hype, ready to embrace a self - aware joke about new and improved products.
Company
A legacy cereal brand with high quality but a stagnant, square personality that lacked excitement and shelf visibility.
Category
Breakfast cereals often rely on expensive product innovations or health claims to regain market share and consumer interest.
Strategy:
Leverage the power of pure perception to create intangible value without altering the physical product.
Customer
Consumers who liked the product but found it boring and had stopped noticing it during their morning routines.
Culture
A culture increasingly skeptical of marketing hype, ready to embrace a self - aware joke about new and improved products.
Strategy:
Leverage the power of pure perception to create intangible value without altering the physical product.
Results
The Diamond Shreddies campaign achieved remarkable success, including an 18% increase in market share within the first month. It generated over $10 million in earned media and significantly boosted brand sentiment. The campaign won numerous awards, including a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Consumer engagement was exceptionally high, with thousands of people participating in the 'Square vs. Diamond' debate online and in person.
18%
increase in market share
$10M
earned media
Grand Prix
Cannes Lions award
Strategy Technique
Shift the Context
By simply changing the visual orientation and naming of the product, the brand shifted the consumer context from boring square to innovative diamond, proving perceived value can be created without physical modification.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Make a Parody
The campaign parodies high - stakes product launches and research by treating a 45 - degree rotation as a breakthrough innovation, using design - tists and mock - serious marketing language to highlight the absurdity of branding.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's brilliance lies in its audacious copywriting and psychological insight, turning a literal non-change into a major brand event. It uses deadpan humor to satirize marketing tropes while simultaneously revitalizing a legacy product.
The clever use of terms like 'design-tists' and '45 more degrees of deliciousness' perfectly balances satire with brand messaging.
The deadpan performances of the 'scientists' and the genuine reactions of the focus group participants sell the absurdity of the premise.
The synergy between the satirical copywriting and the mock-serious art direction creates a unique tone that is both funny and effective.
