STORY:
Millennium Craze Hits Cereal, Spaghetti

Millenios, SpaghettiOs, Froot Loops 2000 now have millennium twist

Now you can be reminded that new millennium is approaching at almost every meal. Three major food manufacturers have announced millennium versions of their popular products within the last week with the latest coming from people who brought us SpaghettiOs and Fruit Loops.

Kellogg's has introduce Froot Loops "2000" with Marshmallow Millennium 2's cereal. The new cereal featuring "2"-shaped marshmallows combines the Froot Loops cereal with what Kellogg's says is "a unique, once-in-a-millennium marshmallow shape". The marshmallows, which come in four different colors are "2"-shaped. Lining them up with three Froot Loops pieces makes "2000" to help remind you of the new century.

The limited-edition cereal package is available in stores now through February 2000. Kellogg's is also offering special on-box offer for a millennium "Time Capsule."

Franco-American couldn't pass up the opportunity for a millennium spin on their SpaghettiOs. Special pasta-shaped "2's" are being added to some 18 million cans of the product, giving consumers a chance to combine the new number with some hallmark SpaghettiOs' "0's," forming a commemorative "2000" in every spoon.

"We wanted to make the start of the new Millennium fun and exciting for kids of all ages," Kelly Maher, Franco-American SpaghettiOs, Marketing Manager said in a press release. "This introduction provides an interactive way to mark an event that only occurs once every thousand years."

The limited edition "SpaghettiOs 2000" are expected to be on shelf in supermarkets nationwide from mid-October through the end of the century. Specially marked SpaghettiOs 2000 sparkle labels will be used to flag the 15-ounce cans of plain, meatball and franks SpaghettiOs that contain the pasta "2's." SpaghettiOs 2000 will also feature an on-label game, in which consumers can win $2,000 instantly.

Cheerios and Dick Clark have already gotten into the Millennium spirit by co-introducing, Millenios, the "Official Cereal of the Millennium." The cereal will feature brown sugar sweetened whole grain oat and corn cereal in the shape of "2"s and "0"s.

Dick Clark, who is synonymous with New Year's Eve for many Americans, is lending his name for an undisclosed price to General Mills to promote Millennios. He's also lend his name to Holland America Cruise Lines for an onboard millennium show and a Times Square Millennium Ornament that recreates the New York's Times Square countdown.

Millennios will be packaged in a specially sized 10 _ oz. box and have a suggested retail price of $2.49. Millenios will be available to consumers for a limited time beginning September 1999. The cereal will be available at grocery and mass merchant outlets until January 2000 or while supplies last.

DATE: 9/08/99

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