Cheerios tries weight loss

Is it just that it's January, or does this represent a new focus for Cheerios? General Mills announced a partnership with Fitness Magazine for a cross-promotion with Multi-Grain Cheerios. But, instead of the previous heart-health benefit claims, now the cereal is part of an online weight-loss program. This puts MG Cheerios in more direct competition with Kellogg's Special K, which has a far more comprehensive branding for weight loss.

This all raises several questions. Does this represent a potential shift for Cheerios marketing (even though this is initially just a six-month promotion)? Why is only the Multi-Grain variety touted for weight loss? Will this cause confusion for the other Cheerios' messages, such as lowering cholesterol for the regular variety? And, will people really take this campaign seriously?

Source: MarketingDaily)