Catalina Crunch, a high-protein, low-sugar cereal and snack brand, debuted its first national ad campaign called The Bright Side of Better to showcase its rebrand and expand its cult following of nutrition-conscious consumers who also seek flavor.
“This campaign marks a bold new chapter for the brand, inviting consumers to expect more from better-for-you snacks, more flavor, more joy and more nutrition,” said Sam Martin, chief revenue and marketing officer, Catalina Crunch.
He points out that while conventional snack sales are down, “better-for-you” snack sales are up, with Catalina Crunch exceeding expectations for the first half of 2025. He said he thinks there is a correlation between health-conscious snack sales and an uptick in the use of GLP-1 medications among US adults. According to the 2024 KFF Health Tracking Poll, about one in eight adults took a GLP-1 agonist, or class of medication used to treat diabetes and weight loss, as of May 2024.
Focus and timing of the new campaign
Designed by media agency Nomadic, The Bright Side of Better features peppy graphics, with videos streaming across Amazon Prime, YouTube, TikTok and Meta. It puts two best-selling products in the spotlight: Protein Cereal and Protein Snack Mix. The Protein Cereal contains 11 grams of protein, which is five times more than the leading sugary cereals. Meanwhile, the Protein Snack Mix offers 10 grams of protein per serving.
Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast has recently ranked as the number one protein cereal on the market, based on total dollar sales in SPINS L52-week data (week ending March 23, 2025) for high-protein cereal items.
The campaign coincides with Catalina Crunch’s major expansion over the past 18 months. The snacks are now available in more than 28,000 retailers across the country, including Walmart, Target, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Giant and Whole Foods, among others. This summer, Catalina Snacks will debut a new product. Sports and influencer partnerships, as well as plans for large-scale events and activations, also are under way.
Nutritious, but not without challenges
Catalina Crunch prides itself on uniting nutrition and flavor. Krishna Kaliannan founded the snack brand as a person with Type 1 diabetes who craved low-sugar options that also delivered on protein, fiber and taste. He started by baking low-carb cereals from his home kitchen in 2017. He launched his first creation, the Catalina Crunch Dark Chocolate Cereal, in 2018. The brand’s Cinnamon Toast cereal hit Costco in 2020.
In a relatively short time, the brand has evolved, including its flavor profile. Shoppers have commented on the change on the website and on forums like Reddit.
One of the FAQs on the company website also addresses the price point: The brand commits itself to using non-GMO ingredients, which tend to be pricier. To illustrate the cost, the site states: “Our Organic Pea Protein ingredient is about 20x more expensive than wheat. Our Monk Fruit (for subtle sweetness) costs us about 1,000x more than sugar!”
Monk fruit is a sub-tropical melon first approved by the FDA as a common sweetener in 2010.
Martin says that international tariffs, especially on imported ingredients such as monk fruit, are another challenge.
“Tariffs have added complexity to our cost structure but Catalina is continuing to pivot to ensure we can still deliver on quality and taste,” he says.
Related are wrenches in the supply chain, though Martin believes changes and limitations have driven the brand’s innovation.
“We remain laser-focused on delivering products that meet modern health standards without sacrificing flavor or quality,” he says.
“Catalina Snacks’ products are high in protein and fiber while still tasting delicious and packing a crunch consumers are craving,” says Martin. “Consumers expect better-for-you cereal and snack options to compromise on taste and crunch, but the brand uses innovative ingredients to create products that are high in protein and fiber, yet are still delicious.”
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that ICON International designed the campaign. The correct agency is Nomadic, and this has been updated in the story.
