Does anyone remember the childhood joys of waking up to breakfast cereal? A table with jars of jam, toast and honey, milk jug and a towering colourful box of cereal!
Those boxes came in all varieties – Cornflakes, Rice Bubbles, Coco Pops, Fruit Loops, Weet Bix, All Bran and so on. In Australia we even had Skippy Cornflakes. But while the colours and sweetness were intoxicating to a small kid, there was also the ‘fun-time’ element designed specifically for the mind of a child.
I wonder how many youngsters like myself delved into the crunchy packet in search of the hidden gift? From plastic cartoon figures to Disney cards and decorative clips designed for your bikes spokes, this adventure was the equivalent of a carnival lucky-dip. The only difference was cereal replacing the sawdust!
One particular toy favourite was the Crater Critters series, which were actually made right here in Melbourne. The sentiment surrounding these tiny plastic pieces shouldn’t be underestimated, as they’re now selling between $200 and $500 on eBay – each! Interestingly, Kellogg’s and Nickelodeon recently joined forces to bring the cereal toy back.
I must also add that while Australian kids were treated to these little playful gems, the United States had the novel idea of including the latest 45 pop records – into the actual cereal box cardboard! I guess nowadays you could probably replace that with an iTunes code?
But for all that breakfast time magic, a special thanks is due to the marketing peeps of the era. These were the real Mad Men advertising executives who took simple products and spun amazing PR campaigns around them.
As one who appreciates the value of pop culture and a love for advertising, I have a Facebook page dedicated to such called Retro Ads From The Mad Men Era. Mad Men in itself is top quality television and, take it from me, truly captures the essence of an era long gone. Or has it?
Maybe the return of the cereal toy is a sign of things to come. Record players, VCR’s, lava lamps and Polaroid cameras are surging again in popularity. Then there are those little cereal elves Snack, Crackle and Pop who never quite went away!
Recently I had my own Mad Men style breakfast at, where else but Tiffany’s! You just need to imagine Coco the monkey leaping from the cereal box onto my shoulder. Coco-lossal!
Follow Retro Ads From The Mad Men Era here.
Watch this classic 1960’s Rice Krispies commercial starring The Monkees.
