There’s something that’s been bugging me for the past few weeks. I’ve been hoping that someone would point it out or that another site might realize what’s going on, but no one has seemed to catch on yet.
Maybe I’m stretching way too far on this one, but hear me out.
The new bear mascot for Smartfood FiberPop is Winnie-the-Pooh.
No, not the version of Winnie-the-Pooh still under the control of The Walt Disney Company. But a version of that character sprung to life in light of the very early version of the classic A.A. Milne bear slipping into the public domain in 2022.
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If you haven’t seen the new ad featuring the fuzzy bear mascot, check out Smartfood’s ad that was posted on the brand’s Instagram page a few weeks ago.
“Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a certain bear only snacks on honey,” the commercial’s narrator begins.
The Hundred Acre Wood. A certain bear. Snacks on honey.
The biggest argument against this bear not being Winnie-the-Pooh is that the captions for these Instagram videos identify him as “fiBEAR,” a play on the fact that Smartfood FiberPop has 6 grams of fiber per serving. (It’s 2026, and it turns out none of us are eating enough fiber or protein.) But that name doesn’t show up anywhere else.
And there are more hints that the Smartfood FiberPop bear is Winnie-the-Pooh. He says “Oh dear ...” after a visit to the bathroom. Pooh’s catchphrase? “Oh bother ...” In another Instagram spot, the caption mentions a “grumbly tummy.” Pooh has often said that he has a “rumbly in my tumbly.”
I’ve yet to try either flavor of Smartfood FiberPop (it rolled out with Sweet & Salty and Toffee & Sea Salt), but when I do, I’m going to do so knowing that I’ve figured out the secret identity of its mascot ...
Snackology is a publication of The Omnicosm.
Issue No. 182
Snackology is written and produced by Bill Kuchman. Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.
The Omnicosm founder. Snackology, Popculturology and The Cold Open writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
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