Magic Spoon:
How we outsmarted nostalgia to push a DTC brand into the mainstream
Challenge
Magic Spoon had mastered the DTC niche.
But to win in the mainstream, it had to do something bold: take on decades of cartoon mascots and sugar-coated nostalgia.
But to win in the mainstream, it had to do something bold: take on decades of cartoon mascots and sugar-coated nostalgia.
Problem
Parents know the system is broken.
Big food = corrupt.
Cereal = sugar bombs.
Marketing = manipulation.
And yet … nostalgia still hooks them. Tony, Lucky, Toucan Sam—those faces whisper Saturday mornings and after-school snacks. They know it’s a trick. They fall for it anyway.
Big food = corrupt.
Cereal = sugar bombs.
Marketing = manipulation.
And yet … nostalgia still hooks them. Tony, Lucky, Toucan Sam—those faces whisper Saturday mornings and after-school snacks. They know it’s a trick. They fall for it anyway.
Human Insight
We can’t resist the comfort of childhood in a chaotic world, even when we know it’s bad for us.
Strategy
Flip the nostalgia lever on its head. Call out the trick for what it is. Give parents permission to outsmart the mascots and choose something real.
Positioning line:
More magic, Less bull.
Positioning line:
More magic, Less bull.
Creative
Executions
