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Library/Meme & format/Cheerio Challenge
Grade B17 sourcesHIS-00087

Cheerio Challenge

Meme & format · 2016 · Niche

38Editable slideCertificate

Life of Dad said its cereal-stacking challenge drew 30,000 shares on the original post.

Michelle Jacques

@Mibjacques · Jun 17, 2016

#cheeriochallenge #sleepybaby had 10 but couldn't take pic quick enough

3109
Post · @Mibjacques on X
Clip · BuzzFeedVideo on YouTube
#cheeriochallenge #sleepybaby had 10 but couldn't take pic quick enough
@Mibjacques on X
#CheerioChallenge Dares Dads to Stack Cereal on Babies' Heads
ABC News
Dads stack Cheerios on babies’ heads because …dads | CNN
CNN
5 Things That Are Harder Than Registering To Vote, Featuring President Obama
BuzzFeedVideo on YouTube
Obama attempts to "turn up" voter registration in spoof video
CBS News

Spread Score

How it works
Reach35Contagion35Breadth40Velocity69Longevity1338

Numbers

Campaign impressions in first week, reported retrospectively
100M
As of May 16, 2017 · Self-reported · Tom Riles / Life of Dad on LinkedIn
Peak date
Week of Jun 19, 2016
Jun 16 ’16 to Week of Jun 19, 2016
Platforms
6
Started on Facebook
Origin
Mixed
Food & beverage

Mechanics

  • ChallengePrimary
  • Remixable template
  • Response chain
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Political adoption

How it spread

Trace the origin

Patrick Quinn posted a stacking challenge on Life of Dad’s Facebook page, and the team bought promotion. Parents copied it on Twitter and Instagram; Cheerios partnered with Life of Dad. Obama reused it for voter registration, and a sponsored return offered family trips.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Google searchesMay ’16JunJulAugOctDecMar ’17MayJunJulPeakFacebookPressXInstagramOpen webYouTube
FacebookPressXInstagramOpen webYouTube

14 more events on this chart

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Timeline (17)

  1. June 2016

    Patrick Quinn / Life of Dad seed · Jun 16 ’16

    Patrick Quinn posted his baby with stacked Cheerios and challenged parents to beat his stack.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Life of Dad owner response · Jun 16 ’16

    Life of Dad submitted a Facebook ad; it said the photo reached over a million people before approval.[2]

  3. BuzzFeed platform jump · Jun 17 ’16

    BuzzFeed interviewed Quinn and published parents’ Cheerio-stacking attempts.[4]

Changelogupdated Oct 12 ’26
  1. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 16 sources · Score 44
Origin
Mixed
Sector
Food & beverage
Region
US
Campaign impressions in first week, reported retrospectively
100M
As of May 16, 2017 · Self-reported · Tom Riles / Life of Dad on LinkedIn
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Mannequin Challenge

X · 2016

63
Mannequin challenge Done by 100+ Engineering Students at University of Jordan, Collaboration with Wikimedia Levant

60K derivatives

Jerusalema Dance Challenge

YouTube · 2020

50
ORIGINAL: Jerusalema Dance Challenge - By Fenomenos do Semba

17M impressions

DistanceDance

TikTok · 2020

41
Stay home & do the #distancedance. Tag me & the hashtag in your video. P&G will donate to Feeding America & Matthew 25 for first 3M videos #PGPartner

197.5M views

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Facebook · 2014

30
Doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Google searchesMay ’16JunJulAugOctDecMar ’17MayJunJulPeakFacebookPressXInstagramOpen webYouTube
FacebookPressXInstagramOpen webYouTube

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. June 2016

    Patrick Quinn / Life of Dad seed · Jun 16 ’16

    Patrick Quinn posted his baby with stacked Cheerios and challenged parents to beat his stack.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Life of Dad owner response · Jun 16 ’16

    Life of Dad submitted a Facebook ad; it said the photo reached over a million people before approval.[2]

  3. BuzzFeed platform jump · Jun 17 ’16

    BuzzFeed interviewed Quinn and published parents’ Cheerio-stacking attempts.[4]

  1. platform jump · Jun 17 ’16

  2. platform jump · Jun 17 ’16

Join free to see the other 14 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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