From the first cereal mascot, which debuted in 1902, to Cool Blue, the kangaroo, breakfast cereal mascots are synonymous with the delicious products they promote. They have become larger-than-life characters and an integral part of marketing for many cereal brands, providing fun and lovable characters that kids and adults can relate to.
Even Grape-Nuts™ cereal briefly featured a mascot. In 1955, an animated boxing glove appeared in ads with the slogan, “Every Little Grape-Nut Packs a Wallop All Its Own!”
Discover the history, evolution, and nostalgia of Post breakfast cereal mascots. From catchy jingles to groundbreaking licensing partnerships, Post mascots are beloved by customers across North America.
Sugar Bear
Golden Crisp™ cereal debuted as Sugar Crisp™ in 1949, a name still used in Canada, accompanied by three identical cereal-loving bears, Dandy, Handy, and Candy. The trio appeared in comic strips and songs throughout the 1950s. By 1960, Sugar Bear® remained the sole mascot promoting Golden Crisp cereal, representing the growing importance of a recognizable and unique mascot with a catchy jingle.
No matter the name, Sugar Bear loves it! From 1968 through the early 2000s, Sugar Bear was known for the jingle “can’t get enough of that sugar crisp,” sung by Gerry Matthews.
The Flintstones
While Fred, from the beloved cartoon “The Flintstones” isn’t your traditional mascot, he has been recognizable on boxes of Fruity and Cocoa PEBBLES™ cereals for over 50 years. The Flintstones represents a significant milestone in our history.
In 1971, the iconic duo of PEBBLES cereal and Fred Flintstone became the first TV characters to appear on a cereal box, thanks to an innovative licensing agreement developed by Post.
As television and cartoons gained recognition and prominence, more brands followed suit and partnered with cartoon characters. Today, Fred and now Barney are still synonymous with PEBBLES!
Cool Blue and Lil’ Oaty
As recently as the early 2000s, Malt-O-Meal™ bags featured a ‘kangaroo mother and child’ duo known as Cool Blue and Lil’ Oaty™, the first named Malt-O-Meal cereal characters. During this time, cereal mascots evolved into characters that children and parents could relate to.
Before this, only an unnamed brown kangaroo appeared on Malt-O-Meal packaging. In the Fall of 1998, Malt-O-Meal created the Cool Blue and Lil’ Oaty kangaroos and introduced them as a fun and active pair. At the time, Malt-O-Meal’s marketing manager stated that the parent-child pair was relatable to their target audience while acknowledging their past Kangaroo mascots.
Today, Malt-O-Meal cereal bags feature fun and whimsical characters representing over 40 delicious and unique flavors. These mascots continue to capture the creative spirit of Malt-O-Meal fans.
The Barbara’s Puffin
In 1995, Barbara’s™ cereal needed a name for a new cereal. When looking for a name, Barbara’s searched high and low – and then a long-time employee suggested the name Puffins in honor of the adorable little sea birds she fell in love with on a recent trip. The whimsical name rose to the top of the list.
The Puffin also represented Barbara’s commitment to nature and wholesome ingredients. Today, more and more customers are looking for cereals with mascots that share their values, whether fun and creativity, a commitment to the environment, or all the above.
The Honeycomb Kid
Honey-Comb™ cereal has had a few mascots over the years since its release in 1965. The Honeycomb Kid was a cowboy who always found a way to deliver cereal to hungry people despite any trouble he encountered. He started as an animated character and later evolved into a live-action character in the 80s.
Linus the Lionhearted
Linus the Lionhearted was a cartoon lion mascot for Crispy Critters, a former cereal product with cereal shaped like animals. Linus eventually got his own Saturday-morning cartoon show. Other cereal mascots made appearances on the show, including Loveable Truly for Alpha bits and Sugar Bear.
Do you find the history of our most memorable cereal mascots exciting? Learn more about the history of your favorite Post cereals!
THE FLINTSTONES and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera. (s25)