Cereal brand's hilarious celebrity billboards go viral

Surreal cereal billboard add featuring the text 'Serena Williams eats our cereal'
(Image credit: Surreal/Future)

What do Serena Williams, Dwayne Johnson and Michael Jordan have in common? They're all big fans of the same high-protein, zero sugar, keto-friendly, plant-based cereal, apparently.

Surreal cereal has dropped a hilariously audacious billboard campaign featuring glowing endorsements from the above celebrities and more. Except they're not celebrities – just normal folk who happen to share their names. (Looking for more advertising inspiration? Check out the best print ads of all time.)

In bold typography and pleasing pastel hues (think Oatly, only less annoying), the billboards feature simple lines such as 'We're Dwayne Johnson's favourite cereal'. But look a little closer, and you'll see a (much smaller) byline offering a clarification ("Dwayne is a bus driver from London.") 

“We’re buzzing to be the official cereal of a Dwayne Johnson and a Serena Williams. If anyone knows a Dave Beckham, please get in touch," Surreal co-founder Kit Gammell said.

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The ads have proven a hit on Twitter (above), with users loving the sheer audacity of the campaign. "What a fresh idea, kudos to the marketing team," one user comments, while another adds, "Low-budget creative – love it."

Indeed, the best billboard ads are designed to make viewers double-take, and Surreal's effort is definitely up there with KFC's Ikea billboard and that incredible sun-powered Dracula poster. For more awesome examples, take a look at the best billboard ads.

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).