The post from Weetabix's Twitter account, featuring an image of the breakfast cereal covered in Heinz Baked Beans, led to a barrage of responses from other brands and organisations:
Why should bread have all the fun, when there's Weetabix? Serving up @HeinzUK Beanz on bix for breakfast with a twist. #ItHasToBeHeinz #HaveYouHadYourWeetabix pic.twitter.com/R0xq4Plbd0
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
@weetabix @heinzUK Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. #MegaBox #BeanOnTomorrow pic.twitter.com/shnSLfZAbO
— Ford UK (@forduk) February 9, 2021
If you can’t beat them, join them... @HeinzUK @Weetabix pic.twitter.com/oXgAdIBrDl
— Specsavers (@Specsavers) February 9, 2021
Even police forces, the NHS and GCHQ posted humourous responses:
That tweet should come with a health warning
— NHS (@NHSuk) February 9, 2021
We've bean looking into this after a number of complaints today. Due to its serious nature, we've passed it over to our major incident team who deals with cereal killers!
— GMP Manchester City Centre (@GMPCityCentre) February 9, 2021
The Weetabix activity was handled by Frank PR, whose managing director, Alex Grier, told PRWeek that as of last night, more than 140 organisations had engaged with the post. It has also been covered in numerous media titles.
Grier said the origins of the campaign date back to November, when the agency posted a recipe for chicken coated in coating of crushed Weetabix and breadcrumbs.
"We did it for social, for a bit of fun, and it got picked up in The Sun. We recognised that food combos always get talked about. We always planned that, for this February, we were going to do a series of interesting, strange pairings of combos.
"The zeitgeist is, we're six weeks in [to lockdown], people are looking for some humour, some fun, a bit of light relief, you've got a topic that people always talk about in food combos – and then we just introduced that 'man bites dog' twist, which is a very debatable food combo."
He said the debate element can be seen in the Good Morning Britain segment today, in which the topic was raised of how such a combination could not work, seeing as the beans could play the same role as milk in softening the Weetabix.
'It's just wheat and baked beans. You have it on toast, why wouldn't you have these two things?'@weetabix, look at what you've done...??
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 10, 2021
GMB's @piersmorgan tries out the ahem, interesting combination...
Watch GMB ?? https://t.co/yyUUJmzswF pic.twitter.com/QPvClOSsuQ
Grier said: "Any good story that really takes off needs to have that debatability, that believability, that 'Would you, wouldn't you?' – you have beans on toast, why wouldn't you have beans on Weetabix? That sort of thought process starts to divide the nation. You have Weetabix purists who are: 'Absolutely not,' and you have other people who are thinking: 'Why wouldn't you?'
"Our social team did the most phenomenal job. As more and more brands piled it, this led to a whole day of banter as everyone got stuck in."
Grier said the campaign was all organic, with no paid social, and Weetabix is "thrilled" with the results.
Frank PR has worked with Weetabix for about nine years in total. The agency shifted about 18 months ago from being the brand's consumer PR shop to its lead creative and social agency.
How the industry responded
Social media managers scavenging a Weetabix tweet today like foxes on bin night
— James Herring (@itsjamesherring) February 9, 2021
??????????????????????
Top job @WelcomeToFrank. The respite we all needed from the current state of affairs. And for those that are a little sour, let's not forget, the agency had to convince the client to do this on their feed - a brave discussion. We'd have loved to witness that chat. #Weetabix
— Don't Cry Wolf (@dontcrywolf) February 10, 2021
The replies to this - the comms peeps running corporate social media accounts are on ?? ?? #Weetabix https://t.co/TGm5QkTyrO
— Kate Jarman ?? (@KateBurkeNHS) February 9, 2021
More brand reactions...
Let’s set aside our differences to prosecute this under the Geneva Convention.
— KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) February 9, 2021
We're almost scared to ask what the verdict on pineapple on Weetabix may be...
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
We'd swipe right...
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
While we're upping the breakfast ante... would you pour @innocent over Weetabix for a fruity hit? Milk is so 2020 ?? #HaveYouHadYourWeetabix https://t.co/eiSgots7H5 pic.twitter.com/a3lKdkEnaX
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
Just about to tuck in, babes. Question is spoon or knife and fork?
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
Papa. Stop.
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
This is worse than people who clap when the plane lands.
— Skyscanner (@Skyscanner) February 9, 2021
Keep up Kellogg's, milk is sooo 2020.
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
@KFC_UKI seeing as all rules are out the window... fancy a gravy-filled doughnut?
— Krispy Kreme UK (@krispykremeUK) February 9, 2021
*unplugs Sky broadband to save the rest of the nation from seeing this*
— Sky TV (@skytv) February 9, 2021
Delet this pic.twitter.com/xUkadejZWS
— Iceland Foods ?? (@IcelandFoods) February 9, 2021
Look at what you've done now ... pic.twitter.com/XdVD3uTOJf
— Google UK (@GoogleUK) February 9, 2021
Watch out, there's going to be heaps of Weetabix and Beanz coming through your checkouts soon…
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 9, 2021
Hey @weetabix Any views on dunking a Choc Digestive in a cup of beans? ??
— McVitie's (@McVities) February 9, 2021
[wife giving me that “get a real job” look again ??] pic.twitter.com/yJ16u3WHYd
Speaking as the country who gave the world such culinary delights as haggis and deep fried confectionary, we can confirm that this is, in fact, a step too far ?
— Scotland Is Now ?????????????? (@Scotland) February 9, 2021
record for most random breakfast combination confirmed
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) February 9, 2021
To bean, or not to bean, that is the question.
— Shakespeare's Globe (@The_Globe) February 9, 2021
Quiet, please.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) February 9, 2021
Peppa with the correct reaction: pic.twitter.com/F6sXw6a8St
— Peppa Pig Official (@peppapig) February 9, 2021
This might be one of the only vegan meals we don't approve of....??
— Holland & Barrett (@holland_barrett) February 9, 2021
Finally something that all Middle-Eastern countries can agree on.
— Israel ????? (@Israel) February 9, 2021
Just no.
Also, want to know how you can upgrade your weetabix? Hummus. #HaveYouHadYourWeetabix
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