Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., a cartoon company, holding the trademark for "Fruity Pebbles" breakfast cereal despite not manufacturing cereal themselves is a classic example of licensing and brand extension. Licensing allows a company to grant permission to another company to use its intellectual property, such as trademarks, patents, or copyrights, in exchange for a fee or royalty. In this case, Hanna-Barbera likely licensed the use of their characters and brand name to Post Consumer Brands, the actual manufacturer of Fruity Pebbles cereal. This benefits both parties involved. For Hanna-Barbera, it extends their brand into new markets and generates additional revenue without having to enter the cereal manufacturing business themselves. For Post Consumer Brands, it gives them access to a recognizable and beloved brand that can help boost sales and market share in the highly competitive breakfast cereal industry.

It's a win-win situation where both companies leverage their strengths to create a successful product. Similarly, Post Consumer Brands has a cereal named Oreo O's, although the Oreo O's wordmark is registered to Intercontinental Great Brands LLC. Post Consumer Brands likely holds a licensing agreement with Intercontinental Great Brands or its parent company, Mondelez International, to use the Oreo O’s trademark. Similar to the previous example with Hanna-Barbera and Fruity Pebbles, this arrangement allows Post Consumer Brands to capitalize on the popularity and recognition of the Oreo brand without actually being the owner of the trademark. By licensing the Oreo trademark, Post Consumer Brands can produce and sell Oreo O's cereal, benefiting from the association with the well-established Oreo brand. And doing so expands the Oreo brand into breakfast cereal, offering new revenue streams for Intercontinental.