Kellogg's Jumbo Assortment Ad – June 1966

What, another post about cereal, Dan? Cerealously?

Sixty years ago this month, Kellogg's was promoting its Jumbo Assortment of 18 individual packages of its cereal favorites. Below is the ad that ran in the Journal on June 1, 1966.

The elephant pushing the shopping cart is a nice touch. That's because there was a world famous elephant named Jumbo, whose name eventually became "an informal adjective meaning extremely large, or much larger than the usual size of its kind."

I've written before about Kellogg's Jumbo Assortment (on this 2019 post). Mom used to buy various assortments of small cereal boxes (usually Kellogg's but sometimes Post) primarily for when we went camping. For several years, we would eat right out of the Kel-Bowl Pac. That is, we would cut along the perforated lines on the small cereal box to open it up and use it as a bowl. (It had a lining that could hold the milk without it seeping into the cardboard box.)

The idea apparently dates back to World War II.

I was disappointed when Kellogg's stopped manufacturing its small boxes this way, since I was still eating out of the Kel-Bowl Pac when camping, just for old time's sake. Oh well.

But back to the Jumbo Assortment in the ad.

If you look closely at the illustration, you can just barely see Quick Draw McGraw on the Sugar Smacks box. I remember as a kid seeing him on the box. Here's a better look at the box in the ad.

And here's a cute commercial for Sugar Smacks with both Quick Draw and his faithful pal Baba Looey.

If you had to pick one cereal out of the Kellogg's Jumbo Assortment, which would you choose?

Snap, Crackle & Flop

Note my special Rice Krispies bowl – not used for anything else!

Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal has been a regular topic on this blog. I've been eating it all my life and even more often as an adult. But I've noticed that something's changed recently and it's enough to make Snap, Crackle and Pop go on strike.

So what's different? The cereal itself has no taste – no flavor. The cereal pieces themselves are lighter in taste and in color. They look almost bleached. It's like they're no longer even baked or cooked, because they've lost that light brown color. The cereal even sogs up quicker.

Compare the color of the cereal in my photo (from this weekend) at the top of this post, with the cereal in this photo from a 1965 Rice Krispies Marshmallow Treats ad.

For a direct comparison, here's what Rice Krispies Treats look like today. Note the stoned elfin trio. They're higher than a kite and unaware of the changes to their own cereal. They've got the munchies and are ready to attack that Treat that's as big as a Futon.

Worst of all – WORST of all – when you pour on the milk (oat milk in my case), the cereal no longer does its thing. The trademark 'snap, crackle and pop' is barely heard at all. It goes on faintly for about 2 or 3 seconds and that's it.

I'd write to Kellogg's to ask them what's going on, but they would probably ignore my letter like they did my last ones over the past few years. I kept finding hard bits of rice in my cereal – like gravel – and even collected samples from several boxes, packaged them in separated plastic bags labeled with lot, date, expiration, etc. and sent them to Kellogg's. I never heard back. ("Hey, it's another letter from that kook in Ohio!")

Anyways, judging from comments online, others have noticed it too. Someone who seemed knowledgeable said that Kellogg's is now using a different kind of rice. But all agree that the change is for the worse.

I guess Rice Krispies lovers are just up Battle Creek without a paddle.

"Gee, our cereal used to look golden brown and appetizing."

Rice Krispies Ad – April 9, 1936

Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal has been a regular topic on this blog for some time. 

One of the reasons is that I once traded some emails with Nels Winkless, who is the son of the advertising executive who composed the classic Rice Krispies song (Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Krispies!). His reminisce about how his father N. B. Winkless came up with the melody was the subject of this post, and is now the generally accepted explanation found all over the internet. I'm kind of proud of that.

I've also written about Rice Krispies Marshmallow Treats, as well as the special retro Rice Krispies box sold at Target in 2013 (featuring the 1960s version of Snap, Crackle and Pop). 

Anyway, ninety years ago today the ad for Rice Krispies at the top of this post ran in the Lorain Journal on April 9, 1936. It's part of a series that do not include the famous elfin trio. 

I wasn't a big fan of the original version of Snap, Crackle and Pop. Here's what they looked like in a Journal ad from three years earlier.

It's kind of interesting that at some point the three elves each received new headgear: Snap, a baker's hat; Crackle, a stocking cap; and Pop, a military hat.

Over the decades, the three cereal hucksters have been redesigned countless times, usually improving them to make them more appealing. I'm still partial to how they looked on the box when I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s.

When they started appearing in those great TV commercials with the Rice Krispies song, they were simplified (below) and I liked that version too. They looked like that on the box for several decades and for me, that was their definitive look. 

They've been redesigned many times since then, probably to freshen up the package. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the current design of the lovable threesome. Their heavy-lidded eyes and glazed look to me says 'stoned' (which coincides nicely with the legalization of recreational marijuana).

Note how the severely pointed ears 'pop' out on one side of their noggins, without a trace of a corresponding ear on the other side. 

However, their Canadian counterparts look pretty good – energetic, with a lot of personality. (I just finished a box a few weeks ago, eh.)

Now if Kellogg's could only remove those hard-as-rock grain nuggets that sometimes make their way into the cereal. In the past few years, I've sent Kellogg's several samples of these little pieces of cereal shrapnel in small, labeled plastic bags, providing lot information, date, etc. Never heard back.

Nevertheless, I still can't resist buying a box of Rice Krispies every now and then. I just chew it carefully to avoid the 'crackle' coming from one of my aging molars.

A Tale of Two Tigers – March 1986

Tiger the Tiger has been the top cat in the cereal aisle for a long time. He's been roaring his trademark "They're Grrrrreat!" as the mascot of Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes since 1952.

And his keepers at Kellogg's are mighty protective of their striped meal ticket.

How do I know? Back here, I wrote about how Kellogg's objected to Exxon using its own popular tiger mascot in signage and advertising for its Tiger Mart convenient stores located inside the oil refinery's service stations. The resulting lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Well, forty years ago in March 1986, Kellogg's took on the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee over the cartoon tiger mascot it selected to serve as the emblem for the 1986 Asian Games, as well as the 1988 Summer Olympics in Korea.

Popular columnist Scott Ostler wrote about the whole affair in the humorous article below, which appeared in the Lorain Journal on March 23, 1986. Coincidentally, the nationally syndicated columnist just announced his retirement just a few days ago, after writing his last column for the San Francisco Chronicle.

I like how Mr. Ostler imagines that Tony the Tiger naturally would hang out with other ad mascots, including Reddy Kilowatt. It's a funny, creative column.

I can see how Kellogg's would object to the cute Korean tiger cub. The Olympic mascot (named Hodori) does seem a little derivative of Tony the Tiger, or at least the fruit loops of his loins. Check out this illustration from the back of a 1968 cereal box with the whole Tiger family, purring with delight over the 1960s General Electric prizes that were part of a giveaway.

Hodori is cute, however. And he has somewhat different coloring etc. And a hat.

But Hodori looks like he was designed by someone who had never seen a real tiger, just a cartoon one on a cereal box.

And note that the designer didn't use this tiger (Cool Cat, a lame late 1960s Warner Bros. Looney Tunes character) for inspiration. Nope, he went with the Grrrrreat One.

Anyway, Mr. Ostler's retirement has really rocked the San Fransisco Bay Area, where he is quite beloved. Here's wishing him a happy retirement!

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Tony has showed up on this blog before – when he was 'freelancing' for the Giant Tiger department store chain.

Introducing Kellogg's Sugar Smacks Cereal – Nov. 1953

November 5, 1953 Lorain Journal ad

Yesterday we were talking coffee. Today – it's cereal.

When it comes to a sweetened wheat puff cereal, did your mom buy Post Sugar Crisp or Kellogg's Sugar Smacks? They're basically the same cereal; Post was there first, with Sugar Crisp (here's the 1950 Lorain Journal ad) and Kellogg's launched their version a few years later.

And above is the ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on November 5, 1953 breaking the news of the new cereal. That's famed Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey circus clown Paul Jung in the ad and on the box.

Another ad ran in the Journal a few weeks later on November 19, 1953.

Here's an oversized box that was part of a store display. It's currently on eBay.

I'm not sure why Kellogg's utilized the circus theme. Fellow clown Lou Jacobs was featured on boxes as well. It made for a fun and memorable visual theme. 

(It's kind of sad that a campaign like this would never fly today. For decades, clowns were seen as lovable childrens' friends. But in the last 20 or 30 years, clowns have become the very symbol of evil and terror, thanks to various horror movies.)

Anyway, when it comes to Sugar Smacks vs Sugar Crisp, I think Mom was in the Kellogg's camp. While I'm too young to remember any clowns on Sugar Smacks packages, I do remember when Hanna-Barbera's Quick Draw McGraw was on the  box (and Snagglepuss was on Cocoa Krispies).

However, after the members of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon menagerie were no longer featured on the boxes, I think we lost interest in many of the cereals – Sugar Smacks for sure. My siblings and I much preferred the Cap'n Crunch lineup from Quaker Oats, General Mills' Cocoa Puffs, etc. Mom did buy a few Post Cereals (mainly Crispy Critters and Alpha Bits).

Today, I almost always have a box of Sugar Crisp Golden Crisp in the pantry. But if Kellogg's put Quick Draw back on the Sugar Smacks Honey Smacks box, I'd give it a try again. But not while the unapppealing Dig'em Frog is on there!

I mean, frogs eat flies. Ugh.

Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes Ad – Feb. 19, 1953

Seventy years ago this month, Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes was just being advertised as a new cereal in the Lorain Journal. Above is the ad that ran in the paper on Feb. 19, 1953.

What's interesting about the ad is that Kellogg's was basically staging a tryout to see who would secure a place on the Sugar Frosted Flakes box as its mascot: Tony the Tiger (and son) or Katy the Kangaroo. It would seem that Tony had the advantage, since the ad copy was already stressing the clever G-r-r-reat tagline.

Anyway, the ad directed the Journal reader to "ask your grocer for a free sample," and then to "get ready to buy whole box featuring Tony, the tiger, or Katy, the kangaroo."

Obviously, Tony won the gig and Katy hopped right out of the picture.

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I've written a lot about cereal on this blog. There have been several posts dedicated to Kellogg's and one post specifically about Tony, which included a Journal ad that appeared a month after the one shown above.

I still start my day with a bowl of cereal. Currently I'm working on a box of Rice Krispies, as opposed to my normal geezer diet of Spoon Sized Shredded Wheat.

Kellogg’s of Battle Creek Vintage Postcards

Remember watching TV shows in the 1960s that were sponsored by “Kellogg’s of Battle Creek?” Everyone in America knew the name of the city in Michigan where the cereal giant was located.

The Kellogg’s cereal plant was a major tourist destination for many years. Consequently, it ended up on postcards. Here’s an ample sample from through the years. (I’ve included some postmark dates.)

It’s interesting seeing how the plant evolved.

1912

The visitor’s entrance became the focal point of the postcard beginning in the late 1950s. 

1959

1961

1965

Being a cereal fanatic, I would have loved to have taken a tour of the Kellogg’s factory in Battle Creek, Michigan. But the public tours ended in the 1980s, out of concerns that trade secrets were being stolen.

I did visit Battle Creek with my younger brother in 1998, however, to visit the Kellogg’s Cereal City attraction located downtown. We made a side trip to drive around the huge Kellogg’s manufacturing plant, even though we couldn’t get inside. We also wanted to find and photograph the Tony the Tiger and son statue.

What we found was a little depressing. The former entrance to the plant – through which thousands of visitors streamed over the years, eager to see their favorite cereals being manufactured – was now an overgrown mess.

The statue of Tony the Tiger and Tony Jr. were still there on the grounds, but I had to photograph them through a chain link fence.

So what does the Kellogg’s plant and office complex look like today? Incredibly, most of the buildings shown in the vintage postcards are no more, except for some associated with production. The building where the visitor entrance was located was gone by the early 2000s.

The office building was the last to go. Here’s a vintage postcard of it.

And here’s a Google Maps view of it, off in the distance, circa 2012.

And finally, here’s a photo (courtesy of the Battle Creek Enquirer) of its demolition, along with neighboring Kellogg's buildings, in 2016.

Today, the Tony the Tiger and Tony Jr. statue are located near the new entrance to the factory. You can just barely see them near the base of the flagpole in these Google Maps drive-by photos.

Here’s a closer look.

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Kellogg’s sponsored The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Yogi Bear Show and Quick Draw McGraw. So it’s not surprising that the Hanna Barbara cartoon menagerie was featured on postcards along with the Kellogg’s advertising mascots.

Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes Ad – March 4, 1953

Tony the Tiger as I remember him,
with the football-shaped head

Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes was one of the sugary sweet cereals that my mother regularly bought for my siblings and me in the 1960s and 70s. With four kids pouring big bowlfuls of it at a time, the box never lasted very long. It was also the favorite cereal in the Snack Pak (or Variety Pak) multi-box package that my parents brought along on our camping trips.

But more than sixty years ago, Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes was still a new cereal. Below is an ad that ran in the Lorain Journal back on March 4, 1953.

Note that Tony Jr. was around since the beginning. Here’s a closer look at the box in the ad.

Whatever happened to Tony Jr. anyway? After he was a flop fronting his own cereal (Frosted Rice), he seems to have disappeared. 

Here’s how Tony looks these days.

And here’s a screen grab from the Frosted Flakes website, showing Tony has evolved. “New” Tony looks like he’s misplaced his dentures.

Anyway, here’s a vintage commercial for Sugar Frosted Flakes. Maybe it will bring back some happy memories and cause you to pick up a box.

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Tony the Tiger has been featured on this blog before, mainly in his moonlighting role at Giant Tiger. And Tony’s elfin co-workers at Kellogg’s – Snap, Crackle and Pop – have popped up on the blog too.