Title: Cereal company to sponsor tours by Backstreet Boys, Aaron Carter
Source: The Associated Press State & Local Wire
Date: June 5, 2001
Topic: News
The cereal company that created Tony the Tiger is counting on the Backstreet Boys and Aaron Carter to be grrrrreat for its sales.
Kellogg Co. said Tuesday it will sponsor a series of separate appearances by the pop performers.
The sponsorship includes a stretch of 45 stops on the current Backstreet Boys tour, beginning Friday in the group's hometown of Orlando, Fla., and continuing through Aug. 31 in Dallas.
The group started touring North America and South America on Jan. 22 to promote its fourth and latest recording, "Black & Blue."
Kellogg will promote its entire lineup of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries on the Backstreet Boys tour but will highlight its new chocolate-chip variety on 40 stops of Carter's upcoming tour, which will promote his debut album, "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)."
Battle Creek-based Kellogg will sponsor Carter's tour from June 14, when he performs in Detroit, until his Aug. 24 show in Syracuse, N.Y.
"The goal of this is to bring fun and added value to our consumers," Kellogg spokeswoman Meghan Parkhurst said Tuesday. "They're both fun groups and have huge appeal, and they will appeal to the Kellogg consumer."
Carter is the 13-year-old brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter. Their 14-year-old sister, Leslie Carter, who has a song on the "Shrek" movie soundtrack, also will perform on Aaron's tour.
"The Backstreet Boys' summer tour is a fitting opportunity for Kellogg to leverage the power of live entertainment," said Joseph Bongiovi, a spokesman for concert promoter SFX Entertainment Inc. "SFX will be able to connect Kellogg directly with their key demographics at the shows and through an array of other marketing initiatives featuring Backstreet Boys."
