Ghost Goes Deeper in Food Set with Protein Bar Launch

A year-and-a-half after bringing cereal to the table, lifestyle CPG brand Ghost is again partnering with General Mills for a line of protein bars launching this month.

The 3-SKU line includes Chocolate Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Choco Chip Cookie Dough flavors, each with 20 grams of protein, 2 grams of sugar and 250 to 270 calories.

The bars are available online via the brand’s website and will extend into mass and grocery retailers this month, with 4-packs priced at $9.99 and 12-packs for $29.99. A variety pack will be released exclusively for Amazon next year.

“We know our fans have been eagerly waiting for Ghost to drop a protein bar,” said Ghost co-founder and CEO Dan Lourenco in a press release. “Protein bars have long been a copy-cat, white-label game, and we weren’t going to enter the space until we could bring something truly differentiated.”

While Ghost is no stranger to disrupting crowded sets, protein bars are a highly saturated category. However, the company is looking to tap into its penchant for branding and its flavors modeled after classic indulgent candies to establish a position in the segment.

“For us, protein bars should be fun and even a little indulgent,” he added. ”Our two-stick format is a fresh spin for the U.S. market, and that social, shareable twist feels authentically Ghost. Sometimes the coolest innovations are inches, not miles, and pairing that upgraded experience with legit macros and nostalgic candy-inspired flavor makes it a winner.”

The bar launch marks the second food product for Ghost, which first established itself as a maker of powdered supplements and, its largest line, energy drinks.

Last year, Ghost first partnered with General Mills to develop a line of premium protein cereals, with nostalgic flavors like Peanut Butter and Marshmallow, the latter made with Lucky Charms marshmallows.

It’s unclear how General Mills will be involved in the operational aspects of the bar collaboration, but for the cereals Lourenco said at the time of launch that Ghost was primarily handling social marketing while General Mills tapped its expertise in field marketing and in-store merchandising.

The launch also means another food item in the portfolio for Ghost’s parent company, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), which acquired Ghost in a $990 million deal last fall.