I completely believed in the Berenstain Bears and Kazaam conspiracies, so I thought perhaps fruit-shaped Trix cereal was proof of another such parallel universe. I, a kid of the ’90s, remember Trix cereal as fruit-shaped, end of story. So when I found out today that Trix cereal bits are actually round, I assumed the fruit shapes were another collective Millennial hallucination. But no, Trix were fruit-shaped, but only between 1991 and 2006. Now Trix is trying to tap that sweet, sweet ’90s nostalgia with a return to the fruit shapes.
Trix claims that fans are clamoring for this change, saying “in just the last 18 months, the brand has seen more than 20,0000 requests, with fans asking things like ‘How many retweets to bring shapes back?’ or ‘Is there a secret stash of Trix Shapes you can send me?’” (If you are a fellow Millennial and have time to worry about Trix shapes instead of student loan debt, non-existent retirement savings, and the collapse of our social safety net, please declare yourself so you can be publicly castigated.) In response, General Mills will relaunch Trix with “fruit” shapes this fall, a move that follows last year’s return to the classic Trix colors. I’m putting fruit in quotes here because what the heck fruit is the blue flower shape supposed to be?
These moves—back to artificial, no-way-do-they-occur-in-nature colors and fruit shapes—represent General Mills’ course correction back to what we love about cereal: it’s sugary and nostalgic. If we wanted all-natural, high-fiber granola, we’d go eat that. When we reach for Trix or Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Lucky Charms, we’re not doing so because it’s full of whole grains. We’re doing it because it’s comfort we can buy in a box for $3.99. It tastes like childhood, and now at least one brand is going to look like childhood again, too.