KING'S HAWAIIAN ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP & NEW LIMITED EDITION SHAKE 'EM" BANANA BITES WITH ILLUMINATION'S MINIONS & MONSTERS

King's Hawaiian and Illumination's Minions & Monsters go bananas with "Shake 'Em" Banana Bites, a limited-time snack inspired by the Minions' love of bananas. Launching nationwide on May 20, the interactive innovation introduces a fun, three-step "shake to coat" experience, combining the King Hawaiian's signature soft, sweet bread with a banana-flavored sugar topping. The partnership is supported by an integrated campaign including a television commercial and in-store displays, bringing the mischievous spirit of the Minions to life just in time for the film's theatrical release.

ILLUMINATION'S MINIONS & MONSTERS
ARRIVES IN THEATERS JULY 1, 2026.

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, King's Hawaiian, family-owned brand behind America's #1 selling rolls, and Illumination's Minions & Monsters team up to bring fans a Minion-inspired snack as fun-loving as the Minions themselves. Ahead of Illumination's riotous new film, arriving in theaters July 1, King's Hawaiian is debuting NEW "Shake 'Em" Banana Bites: a limited-time, flavor-packed twist inspired by the Minions' famously beloved fruit. The partnership also includes a custom television commercial, in-store displays and more.

Launching nationwide on May 20, "Shake 'Em" Banana Bites feature King's Hawaiian signature soft, pillowy bread bites with a banana-flavored sugar topping .

True to the Minions' mischievous spirit, "Shake 'Em" Banana Bites are designed to stir up some movie magic . The three-step experience adds an extra layer of flavor (and fun) with every bite: simply sprinkle the banana-flavored sugar, shake to evenly coat, and enjoy. Consumers can customize the amount of flavor, and serve the item straight from the tub or heat in an air fryer for a toasty treat. 

Available for a limited time at retailers nation-wide including Kroger, Albertsons, and Publix, the new Banana Bites offer a craveable sweet snack perfect for movie nights, summer gatherings, or anytime fans are ready to embrace a little Minions-inspired fun.

"At King's Hawaiian, we're always looking for ways to bring a little more joy and flavor to everyday moments," said Raouf Moussa, Chief Marketing Officer at King's Hawaiian. "With 'Shake 'Em' Banana Bites, we're combining our signature soft, sweet bread with the Minions' most iconic flavor to create something that's both delicious and unexpected. From a delightful new animated TV spot to eye-catching in-store displays at grocery retailers nationwide , we're excited to bring this partnership to life in a way that fans can experience a little movie magic through our brand this summer."

The partnership comes to life in a new television commercial that captures the joyful, high-energy spirit of the Minions with inspiration from King's Hawaiian Shake 'Em Banana Bites. Set against a lively, 1920s-inspired set, the spot features the Minions, dressed as Bites, breaking into a spirited dance number and bringing a sense of rhythm, humor, and spectacle to the screen. As the performance builds, one Minion sprinkles banana-flavored sugar that leads to a funny tossing sequence, delivering an energetic scene that brings the snack's interactive spirit to life. Extending the partnership beyond the screen, the brands will also debut a co-branded NASCAR race car at Pocono Raceway this June, bringing the collaboration to fans in a bold and high-speed way.

Introduced last year, King's Hawaiian Soft Bites expanded the brand's beloved portfolio into a new snackable format, bringing together the irresistible balance of sweet and salty in every bite. Building on the success of the Bites platform, the new Shake 'Em Banana Bites bring a fun and flavorful twist to the lineup, featuring banana flavor and a shakeable coating for an interactive snacking experience. Whether enjoyed straight from the box or shared for entertaining, Shake 'Em Banana Bites deliver the same quality and craveable taste fans expect from King's Hawaiian in a perfectly poppable form.

For more information and details on where to purchase, visit www.kingshawaiian.com. 

Media Contacts:
ALISON BROD MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
[email protected]

About King's Hawaiian®
Founded 75 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii, by Robert R. Taira, KING'S HAWAIIAN is a family-owned business that has been dedicated to providing Hawaii-inspired foods made with original recipes and Aloha Spirit for three generations. KING'S HAWAIIAN makes the #1 branded roll in the United States, along with other irresistible products that inspire joyous food experiences people can't resist being a part of, including slider buns, hamburger buns, pretzel bites, and more. The soft and fluffy texture and perfect touch of sweetness of KING'S HAWAIIAN bread add even more fun and excitement to occasions big and small, including everyday meals and snacking, bringing loved ones together. 

For more information, visit the company's website at www.KingsHawaiian.com, or find KING'S HAWAIIAN on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About Illumination's Minions & Monsters
Fresh off the worldwide blockbuster success of summer 2024's funniest comedy, Despicable Me 4, Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters, in the biggest global animated franchise in history: Minions & Monsters. 

This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created. 

The acclaimed voice cast includes Academy Award^® winner Allison Janney, two-time Academy Award^® winner Christoph Waltz, Academy Award^® winner Jeff Bridges, two-time Academy Award^® nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague) and Academy Award^® nominee and comedy iconoclast Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park. The cast also includes Saturday Night Live alum Bobby Moynihan and Phil LaMarr (Futurama, King of the Hill).

Minions & Monsters is directed by Academy Award^® nominee Pierre Coffin, a director of the first three Despicable Me films and the first Minions film. Coffin has also provided the voice for the Minions since their film debut in 2010. The film is written by Brian Lynch (Minions, The Secret Life of Pets films) and Pierre Coffin and is produced by Illumination's Academy Award^® nominated founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Bill Ryan (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie). The executive producer is Brian Lynch.

More than ten years after their creation, the Minions have become the most iconic animated characters of their generation. Globally recognized and beloved by fans of all ages, they have propelled Illumination's Despicable Me and Minions to a global box office of more than $5.6 billion.

About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of event-animated films, including Despicable Me—the most successful animated franchise in cinematic history—as well as Illumination and Nintendo's record-breaking The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Illumination's Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, The Secret Life of Pets and Sing films. The Illumination library includes five of the top 20 animated films of all time, and the company's iconic, beloved franchises—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have earned more than $11 billion worldwide. Illumination has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. 

About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.  NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks.  NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

SOURCE King's Hawaiian