Kellogg’s Trademarks

Kellogg’s is one of the most recognized names in the food industry, with a trademark portfolio spanning over a century. Founded by W.K. Kellogg in 1906 in Battle Creek, Michigan, the company transformed breakfast with the invention of corn flakes and went on to build an empire of cereal, snack, and frozen food brands.

In October 2023, Kellogg Company underwent a major corporate split, dividing into two independent companies: Kellanova (snacks, plant-based foods, frozen breakfast, and international cereals) and WK Kellogg Co (North American cereals). Mars Inc. subsequently acquired Kellanova in December 2024 for approximately $30 billion, while Ferrero purchased WK Kellogg Co in September 2025 for $3.1 billion.

Despite these ownership changes, the trademark portfolio remains substantial. Kellogg North America Company LLC alone holds over 200 registered trademarks with the USPTO, covering everything from century-old cereal brands to recent NFT and metaverse filings.

Why Kellogg’s Trademark Strategy Matters

Kellogg’s trademark approach demonstrates how a food company can build lasting brand equity through consistent protection over decades. The company’s oldest marks, including KELLOGG’S (1914) and CHEEZ-IT (1921), remain active and valuable more than 100 years after filing. This long-term protection strategy extends to character names, slogans, product variants, and even the sounds associated with their products.

The 2023 NFT trademark filings show how established brands adapt their intellectual property strategy for emerging technologies, securing protection for virtual goods before competitors can claim similar ground in digital spaces.

Notable Kellogg’s Trademarks, A-Z

The following table includes approximately 50 of Kellogg’s most notable trademarks, organized alphabetically. Many of these marks have multiple registrations covering different goods and services classes.

Trademark Highlights by Category

Core Brand Marks

KELLOGG’S

The foundational trademark of the entire portfolio, first filed on December 15, 1914 for “Cereal Breakfast Foods.” This mark has been registered across dozens of goods and services classes over the past century, from food products to clothing to advertising services. The distinctive script logo remains one of the most recognized brand marks in the food industry.

K

The stylized “K” logo has been protected since September 30, 1982, covering cereal products, printed materials, and various merchandise. This mark allows Kellogg’s to use abbreviated branding while maintaining trademark protection.

Iconic Cereal Brands

RICE KRISPIES

Filed March 17, 1928 for “Cereal Breakfast Food,” Rice Krispies is one of Kellogg’s oldest active trademarks. The brand has spawned numerous extensions including RICE KRISPIES TREATS (1992), COCOA KRISPIES, and the character-associated SNAP CRACKLE POP marks.

FROOT LOOPS

First filed May 11, 1964, Froot Loops has become one of America’s most recognizable cereal brands. The intentional misspelling of “Froot” is itself a trademark strategy, creating a distinctive mark that cannot be challenged as merely descriptive. Associated marks include TOUCAN SAM (the mascot) and FOLLOW YOUR NOSE (the slogan).

FROSTED FLAKES and KELLOGG’S FROSTED FLAKES

The Frosted Flakes brand is protected through multiple registrations, with KELLOGG’S FROSTED FLAKES filed April 9, 1986. The brand is inseparable from its mascot Tony the Tiger and the slogan THEY’RE GR-R-REAT!, both of which carry their own trademark registrations.

SPECIAL K

Special K has been protected across multiple registrations covering cereals, meal replacement products, bars, and printed recipes. The brand represents Kellogg’s health-conscious cereal offerings and has expanded into snack bars and shakes.

NUTRI-GRAIN

Filed February 27, 1981, Nutri-Grain covers cereal-derived food products and has expanded to include cereal bars and waffles. The mark represents Kellogg’s whole grain and nutrition-focused product line.

Snack Brands

CHEEZ-IT

One of the oldest marks in the portfolio, CHEEZ-IT was first filed May 23, 1921 for “Cheese Crackers.” The brand has generated extensive trademark protection through variants including:

• CHEEZ-IT GROOVES (2013)
• CHEEZ-IT SNAP’D (2018)
• CHEEZ-IT PUFF’D (2021)
• CHEEZ-IT CRUNCH (2023)
• CHEEZ-IT BOWL (2018, for the college football bowl game sponsorship)
• CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL (2025, joint filing with Florida Citrus Sports Association)

POP-TARTS

Filed July 20, 1964 for “Fruit Preserve Filled Pastry Bakery Product,” Pop-Tarts has become a cultural icon beyond its original breakfast positioning. The associated slogan CRAZY GOOD was filed October 3, 2005.

RICE KRISPIES TREATS

Originally filed July 20, 1992, this mark protects the popular snack bar product derived from the cereal brand. Recent filings extend protection to coffee creamers and shakes (December 2021).

Frozen Breakfast

EGGO

Filed March 3, 1959, EGGO covers frozen waffles and has become synonymous with the category. The brand is protected through multiple marks:

• L’EGGO MY EGGO (August 10, 1998) – the iconic slogan
• L’EGGO WITH EGGO (April 26, 2021)
• EGGO BITES (May 3, 2013)

The mark has also been extended to electric toasters (November 30, 2009) and virtual goods for NFT purposes (May 24, 2023).

Characters and Slogans

TONY THE TIGER and THEY’RE GR-R-REAT!

Tony the Tiger was registered as a trademark December 9, 2003, though the character has been associated with Frosted Flakes since 1952. The name TONY alone was registered December 28, 1995 for clothing. The catchphrase THEY’RE GR-R-REAT! was registered September 30, 1982.

SNAP CRACKLE POP

The famous Rice Krispies slogan has been protected since January 23, 1951, with multiple subsequent filings covering the phrase with different punctuation and formatting. Recent extensions include SNAP CRACKLE POPPERS (August 2, 2017) for cereal-based snack foods.

TOUCAN SAM and FOLLOW YOUR NOSE

The Froot Loops mascot TOUCAN SAM was registered March 1, 2006, with the associated slogan FOLLOW YOUR NOSE filed June 27, 2014.

Plant-Based Foods

MORNINGSTAR FARMS

Filed February 7, 1972 for “Textured Vegetable Protein Foods Having a Meat-Like Flavor,” MorningStar Farms represents one of Kellogg’s earliest entries into plant-based foods, predating the current plant-based food trend by decades.

GARDENBURGER

Filed January 17, 1986 for “Vegetable Based Meat Substitutes,” Gardenburger was one of the pioneering brands in the vegetable burger category.

GRILLERS

Filed October 26, 1976 for “Textured Vegetable Protein Food Patties,” and later extended to GRILLERS PRIME (April 5, 2004).

WORTHINGTON

Filed September 19, 1983, Worthington covers vegetable protein base food for use in place of meat or poultry.

NFT and Metaverse Filings (2023)

On May 24, 2023, Kellogg’s filed trademark applications for seven major brands covering “downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs featuring food products for use in online virtual worlds.” The brands protected for virtual goods include:

• EGGO
• POP-TARTS
• RICE KRISPIES
• CHEEZ-IT
• KELLOGG’S
• SPECIAL K
• FROOT LOOPS

These filings demonstrate how established food brands are preparing for Web3 and metaverse commerce opportunities.

Cracker and Cookie Brands

The portfolio includes several cracker brands acquired over the years:

• SUNSHINE (1960)
• CLUB (1962)
• TOWN HOUSE (2010)
• ZESTA (1999)
• TOASTEDS (1989)

Let’s Protect Your Brand

Building a trademark portfolio like Kellogg’s requires consistent, strategic protection over time. When I work with food and beverage companies, I focus on protecting not just the core brand name but the entire ecosystem: product names, slogans, character names, and even distinctive sounds or designs associated with the brand.

The Kellogg’s approach shows the value of filing early and maintaining registrations over decades. Marks like CHEEZ-IT (1921) and RICE KRISPIES (1928) remain valuable intellectual property nearly a century later because of ongoing registration and enforcement.

If you are building a food brand or expanding an existing product line, securing trademark protection should be part of your launch strategy. Contact me to discuss protecting your brand’s future.

Last updated: December 2025 – Added corporate split context (Kellanova/WK Kellogg Co), 2023 NFT filings, CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL (2025), and expanded trademark highlights across all categories.