Don't let her dour expression fool you. Internet to IRL crossover sensation Grumpy Cat (real name: Tardar Sauce) loves a good marketing opportunity.
Since exploding on the scene in 2012, she's "written" a book, launched a line of Grumpy Cat merchandise, been named Friskies' official spokescat and, this holiday season, will star in a Lifetime Original Movie, Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever. (Actual plot excerpt: "A very special 12-year-old girl named Chyrstal enters the pet store and falls in love with Grumpy Cat. A unique friendship is formed between the two when Chyrstal finds she is the only person who can hear this unique feline talk.")
So, what's next for this million-dollar cat? An endorsement deal with America's favorite cereal, Cheerios! (Well, second favorite after any giant bowl of crystallized hunks of corn syrup.) In this new spot from Saatchi & Saatchi in New York for Cheerios' tastier cousin, Honey Nut Cheerios, Grumpy is introduced to the brand's longtime mascot, Buzz the bee. It goes pretty much exactly how you'd expect.
Buzz is aggressively annoying. Grumpy looks unenthused. Buzz talks about how awesome Honey Nut Cheerios are. Grumpy still looks unenthused. Buzz demands a smile. Grumpy says, in meme form, that she is, in fact, smiling. Buzz, in return, insults Grumpy's appearance. Buzz is a dick. The end.
But hold on. "How dare you call this beloved brand mascot a dick!" you say. To which I would reply, it's not Grumpy's fault that she looks like that, just like it's not her fault that some kid named her Tardar Sauce. Grumpy, you see, suffers from a combination of feline dwarfism and an underbite, according to her Wikipedia page.
So, long story short, Buzz is straight up bullying Grumpy for a serious (maybe? I honestly have no idea) medical condition. Think about that when you're eating your Cheerios tomorrow morning, America.
CREDITS
Client: General Mills/Honey Nut Cheerios
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, New York
Executive Creative Director: Peter Smith
Creative Director: Johnnie Ingram
Creative Director: Chris Skurat
Copy Writer: Adam Kline
Art Director: Justin Roth
Executive Producer: Gregory Hall
VP. Director of Business Affairs: Sara Jagielski
Business Manager: Christina Mattson
SVP Management Director: Rodes Ponzer
Account Director: Dave Barone
Account Executive: Carly Wallace
Senior Strategic Planner: Anastasstios Tsitsopoulos
Production Company: Backyard, Venice, CA
President/Partner: Blair Stribley
Managing Director/Partner: Chris Zander
VP/Executive Producer: Kris Mathur
Head of Production: Emily Malito
Director: Rob Pritts
Director of Photography: Florian Stadler
Line Producer: Kevin Sharpton
Editorial: Beast
Editor: Jim Ulbrich
Producer: Valerie Lorio
VFX: Laika/House
President: Lourri Hammack
Line Producer: Karly Chambers
Animation Director: Aaron Sorenson
VFX Supervisor: Rex Carter