Pop culture brands, similar to Pop art, need to connect with the consumer on an emotional level. These brands have long since evolved from their functional roles in our lives and transcended beyond a positioning that butts heads with competitors. Brands like M&Ms, the Keebler Elves and the Pillsbury Doughboy have an established personality in our minds that cannot and should not be shaken. Like many Pop artists, their style is instantly and internationally recognizable.

But has Pop Tarts crossed over? Certainly, it’s a love it or hate it brand, giving it a strong point of difference in the US marketplace. Currently, the brand needs to bolster its international status, and the influx of tourists through a Times Square venue will certainly spread the word. Clearly, with this positive brand experience brand managers hope to create new demand, especially in foreign markets.

For now, at the very least Pop Tarts is taking a risk and making some noise. The brand has a lease on its Times Square space until January and foot traffic flow has been steady according to reports over the past month and from what we’ve experienced at the store. How the brand chooses to evolve the experience with ramped up use of online retail and digital communication channels, solid analysis of consumer feedback, and also the places where the pop up store travels to in the New Year will tell us how much Kellogg’s has invested in really reigniting a brand that has true Pop potential.