Kellogg’s Partners with Nickelodeon on New Apple Jacks Flavor

The Kellogg Company is partnering with television channel Nickelodeon to launch Apple Jacks Slime cereal in a green apple flavor. The new Apple Jacks flavor features the classic orange and green cereal loops with the addition of green specks that turn milk a bright green shade, the same color as the Nickelodeon channel’s infamous slime.

“Both known for our bright orange and green colors, Kellogg’s Apple Jacks and Nickelodeon Slime are a perfect pairing,” said Sadie Garcia, director of brand marketing at Kellogg All Family Cereal, in a press release. “Now families can discover all the fun of Slime at the breakfast table with a delicious new cereal that changes the color of the milk while you eat.”

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Rather than delivering the classic flavor combination of apples and cinnamon that fans know and love, the new Apple Jacks flavor is mixing things up with a burst of green apple flavor in every spoonful. Green dye turns any remaining milk in the bowl a bright green, which is sure to bring a sense of nostalgia to those who watched Nickelodeon as a kid.

Each serving of the new Apple Jacks flavor contains 140 calories, 1 gram of fat and 13 grams of sugar, which is comparable to regular Apple Jacks. Available for a limited time at retailers nationwide starting in July, the Apple Jacks Slime cereal can be purchased in an 8.2-oz box at the suggested retail price of $4.49. 

History of Apple Jacks

Apple Jacks was originally called “Apple O’s” when it was first introduced to the US in 1965. The name of the cereal was changed to “Apple Jacks” in 1971 by advertisers, and the name has stuck since. The cereal was invented by William Thilly, who was studying at MIT when he was hired by Kellogg’s as a research assistant.

Apple Jacks has had several changes and spin-offs over the years. Originally Apple Jacks only contained orange-colored cereal bits when it was first released in 1965. The green-colored Apple Jack cereal pieces that have become well known were only added in 1998. A replacement to the green Apple Jack cereal bits was introduced in a spin-off product that included blue carrots.

Apple Jacks with marshmallows was also released in 2007, as well as a limited-edition spin-off called Apple Jacks “Crashers” that included a change to the shape of the cereal’s O pieces to have a stick-like structure running through them to represent a cinnamon stick. Apple Jacks “Clones” was another spin-off created for the brand, released in 2010 as a limited edition. 

Apple Jacks has been reported by cerealfacts.org to be one of the top four most heavily marketed cereals in supermarkets, like its close counterpart Froot Loops. Apple Jacks is not quite as colorful or as exciting as the more pronounced flavors and brighter colors that other cereal flavors have to offer, but it remains a popular product with a strong fan following.

Meanwhile, Kellogg’s recently announced plans to separate into three independent public companies, sectioning off its iconic brands into distinct snacking, cereal and plant-based businesses. The company said it is exploring further strategic alternatives, including a potential sale, for its plant-based business. The tax-free businesses are expected to be completed by the end of next year.