There’s nothing like a mini man to promote a mini product. A recent TV ad for Kellogg’s new Nutri-Grain Mini Granola Bars stars a little bald guy with a big Scottish accent – in fact, he sounds a lot like the dad in the film So I Married An Axe Murderer.

In the spot, by Toronto-based Leo Burnett, the two-inch man (played by copywriter Josh Rachlis) touts the great taste of the bars. But he also admits he’s ‘not sure why they call them mini,’ considering they contain ‘fruit the size of [his] nephew’s head!’ As the commercial draws to a close, he’s caught off-guard by a life-sized woman who dips into the bag for a taste. The tagline is: ‘New Nutri-Grain Mini Granola Bites. They’re mini … if you’re not.’

‘We got to that place by leveraging the abundance of consumer research – customers told us that the mini format was unique, and as a result we wanted to translate that into the creative execution and really reinforce the size,’ explains Andrew Loucks, brand manager at Toronto-based Kellogg Canada. ‘We used the mini man as a creative device to leverage that critical element, over the fact that consumers also love portion control.’

The bite-sized pieces, introduced in September, are the first granola entry for the Nutri-Grain brand, so it was equally important to zero in on the ingredients, he adds. While typically moms make up the principal target for this category, Kellogg’s also wanted to appeal to males and younger consumers. The ad debuted Oct. 20 and is running during a variety of programs including CSI Miami, Will & Grace and Survivor.

Client: Kellogg Canada

Agency: Leo Burnett

Creative Group Head: Arthur Shah

Art Director: Brian MacDonald

Copywriter and Lead Talent: Josh Rachlis

Producer: Melanie Palmer

Account Director: Laurie Woolley

Account Supervisor: Jeremy Morris

Account Supervisor: Ryan Bernal

Production Company: Avion Films

Executive Producer: Paola Lazzeri

Director: Tim Hamilton

Director of Photography: Dean Cundy

Producer: Tuula Hopp