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Mixed Messaging

I just saw a commercial for a new cereal: Grape-Nuts Trail Mix Crunch. The commercial went out of its way to talk about how "unbelievable" the cereal is, even ending with the tag line, "New Grape-Nuts Trail Mix Crunch. So good you won't believe it's Grape-Nuts."

Now here's my question - if the public perception of regular Grape-Nuts cereal is so bad that this new variety has to distinguish itself so vehemently (so good you won't believe it's grape-nuts), then why on earth would they use the Grape-Nuts brand? Post owns many cereal brands and could just as easily have gone with a name that would be more marketable if they wanted. So why give themselves an immediate hurdle?

Or, if the public perception of Grape-Nuts isn't that bad, then why make the line sound so unappealing with this ad? It's basically saying "we know you hate regular Grape-Nuts, but this stuff is good!"

I just don't get it.

And yes, I have this little to do today.