Nutri-Grain celebrates 40 years of Iron Man advertising with new generation of champions
Cereal brand Nutri-Grain is celebrating 40 years of Iron Man marketing campaigns, which have featured champions of the sport including Grant Kenny and Dean and Darren Mercer, by passing the baton onto the new generation of Iron Men and Women.
The latest marketing push sees Iron Men Darren Mercer and Trevor Hendy’s children Jordan Mercer and TJ Hendy take pride of place on the Nutri-Grain box.
Since 1980, Nutri-Grain has featured the Iron Man and Iron Woman champions on its packaging and in its advertising. Darren Mercer first appeared in a Nutri-Grain ad in 1987.
He said: “It was the early 80’s, the first Coolangatta Gold had been run and Nutri-Grain was all about Ironman. These guys were unstoppable. When my brother Dean and I were kids we both grew up wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, determined to train hard and eat right.”
Trevor Hendy added: “There is no higher accolade for an Ironman or woman than a win at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (The Aussies). Darren and I are fortunate to have taken out the title many times before, and now it’s exciting to see what our kids can achieve.
“Both TJ and Jordan are at the top of their game and have overcome career obstacles that embody the Nutri Grain philosophy – with courage, strength and determination, anyone can become unstoppable.”
TJ Hendy and Jordan Mercer’s Nutri-Grain packs will feature their own ‘unstoppable stories’ of growing up in the sport and training to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. The packs will be in supermarkets in late April.
Jordan Mercer said: “I was born into the Nutri-Grain culture. Years of watching my dad and uncle from the sidelines inspired my own Iron Woman dreams. Seeing a cereal box featuring my heroes Dad and Dean, kick-started my love for Nutri-Grain. It’s been my favourite for as long as I can remember.”
TJ Hendy added: “Seeing these legends every day at breakfast time served as a massive inspiration for us kids. I’m pinching myself that I’ll now become one of them and inspire the next generation of kids.”
