Buzz
In the 19th century, masturbation was considered a major public health concern. At least, that’s how some Christian fundamentalists saw it. Anti-masturbation advocates linked self-gratification to numerous health problems, such as blindness, infertility, epilepsy, insanity, and even a craving for spicy foods. This last idea came from one particular anti-masturbation activist: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, an American physician.
Kellogg had many theories about the link between diet and masturbation. He believed that the desire for self-stimulation, or 'self-pollution' as he called it, was tied to eating meat and spicy foods. To curb this issue, along with other health concerns, he suggested a bland diet consisting of nuts and grains. Kellogg even created recipes based on his health beliefs. As the superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a popular wellness retreat in Michigan, he served guests crushed wheat, corn, and oat biscuits. He named this mixture 'granola.' While some may argue whether it was a breakfast revolution, it was certainly not a brand new idea. A few years earlier, James Caleb Jackson, another diet enthusiast, had made a similar dish called 'granula.' Kellogg made minor changes, like replacing the 'U' with an 'O' to avoid potential lawsuits.
Kellogg’s most lasting contribution to the food world should be familiar to anyone who has ever walked down a cereal aisle. In partnership with his brother Will, a bookkeeper at Battle Creek Sanitarium, John developed what became known as 'corn flakes.' By rolling corn grits into thin flakes and baking them, they created a product that would revolutionize the breakfast industry. William took on the task of marketing the cereal to customers beyond the sanitarium, showing much less interest in its purported ability to curb self-gratification than his brother. While Kellogg’s corn flakes were never marketed as a sexual suppressant, John’s belief in a simple, pure diet—especially one heavy in grains and milk—was a key part of the anti-masturbation movement, which may have indirectly influenced the cereal’s origins.
Charles W. Post and the Rise of Cereal Marketing
From health trends to marketing shifts, the evolution of breakfast cereal reveals much about American culture. But before we dive into the details, let’s clarify our terms. According to Merriam-Webster, cereal refers to starchy, edible grains and the plants that produce them, such as wheat, oats, and barley. It’s also used to describe processed food made from these grains.
Today, cereal is heavily advertised, with an advertising-to-sales ratio that’s four to six times higher than many other food categories. This trend can be traced back to the early days of cereal. In the late 19th century, Charles W. Post, a guest at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, took note of the Kelloggs’ success. As a salesman, Post saw the potential of the Sanitarium’s products to dominate the breakfast market. In 1897, he created Grape-Nuts, a crumbled biscuit cereal (which, amusingly, contains neither grapes nor nuts).
What Post truly brought to the table was a keen understanding of marketing. Before the 20th century, advertising was often seen as synonymous with snake-oil salesmen and had a shady reputation. But Post was undeterred. He distributed pamphlets claiming Grape-Nuts could cure appendicitis and even boost stamina to the point of cycling 50 miles on just eight teaspoons. His use of flashy, health-boosting claims to sell food was risky, but it paid off. By 1903, Post’s marketing tactics had made him a millionaire.
Post may not have invented breakfast cereal, but he transformed it into a competitive market. After Grape-Nuts’ success, William Kellogg adopted Post’s approach, ignoring his brother’s opposition to advertising. Kellogg launched a campaign telling consumers to 'Wink at the grocer, and see what you get.' It worked: Kellogg’s sold 1 million boxes in just a year. The successes of Grape-Nuts and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes attracted more entrepreneurs to Battle Creek. By 1911, there were 108 brands of corn flakes, with 60 coming from Battle Creek itself.
The Evolution of Mascots in Cereal Advertising
With so many cereals vying for attention, brands needed a way to stand out. Enter mascots. One of the earliest cereals to use a cartoon character to promote sales was a wheat-based cereal named Force. Its mascot, the dapper Sunny Jim, dressed in a top hat, became a hit in both magazine and newspaper advertisements. His popularity helped establish mascots as a common feature on cereal boxes.
However, not every mascot was as well-received as Sunny Jim. After the success of Grape-Nuts, Charles Post introduced a new corn flake product called Elijah's Manna. The packaging depicted the prophet Elijah being fed by a raven, a choice that caused some Christians to take offense. The product was even banned in Britain. In his defense, Post quipped, 'Perhaps no one should eat angel food cake, enjoy Adam's ale, live in St. Paul, nor work for Bethlehem Steel […] one should have his Adam's apple removed and never again name a child for the good people of the bible.' Despite his defense, the controversy lingered.
Some cereal companies figured out they didn’t need to create entirely new characters to promote their products. One of the first radio programs to feature embedded cereal advertising was Skippy. In the middle of an episode, the title character would stop what he was doing to pitch Wheaties to the listeners. This marked the first instance of a cereal brand specifically targeting young consumers. The ad proved successful, and soon other popular characters began endorsing cereals on their radio shows.
Post eventually opted for a less controversial mascot. He renamed Elijah’s Manna to the more neutral-sounding Post Toasties and removed the biblical figure from the packaging. He later struck a deal with Walt Disney, featuring Mickey Mouse as a Post mascot. It’s said that Post paid a million dollars for this opportunity in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. This and other similar licensing agreements helped fund Disney’s first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Here's an example of how cereal brands developed their mascots over time. After introducing Rice Krispies in 1928, Kellogg's added a gnome named Snap to the packaging five years later. While Snap, Crackle, and Pop were initially only featured in print ads, they didn't appear on the box until 1941. Early promotions even introduced three additional characters to the Rice Krispies universe: Soggy, Mushy, and Toughy. Unlike the original trio, these characters and their evil counterparts never caught on.
The clash between crunch and sogginess has been a recurring theme in cereal commercials. In the 1960s, Quaker Oats launched the Cap'n Crunch mascot in response to the finding that kids disliked soggy cereal. By this point, marketing had become such a critical element of cereal advertising that Quaker had developed the mascot before settling on the flavor. And for the record, Cap'n Crunch's full name is Horatio Magellan Crunch.
John Kellogg was firmly against adding sugar to corn flakes, so it's probably for the best he missed the introduction of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes in 1952. Tony the Tiger became the face of the brand at launch, but even more iconic than the mascot's image was the voice behind him. Thurl Ravenscroft, who voiced Tony for over 50 years, also sang the iconic "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Some cereal mascots had a more challenging journey. About ten years after launching Lucky Charms in 1964, General Mills briefly replaced the original Lucky the Leprechaun with Waldo the Wizard in certain regions. Fearing the leprechaun might seem too mischievous, they hoped the friendlier wizard would be a better fit for children. Ultimately, Waldo was removed, and Lucky returned as the charming face of hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers, and blue moons.
The arrival of cereal commercials on television
When television overtook radio as the main form of entertainment at home, cereal companies quickly took advantage of the new medium. Using the same in-program marketing tactics, cereal brands now had characters like Howdy Doody and Roy Rogers selling their products instead of Skippy. This was the era when cereal mascots came to life in TV commercials. Unlike radio, TV ads put the actual product front and center, prompting cereal brands to ensure their advertisements looked as appealing as possible. Many invested heavily in early TV technology, leading to advancements like color visuals. From that point, brands with vibrant mascots and colorful cereals enjoyed a competitive edge.
In the 1980s, companies found a fresh way to capitalize on pre-existing franchises to promote cereals. It seemed like every pop culture character had their own cereal box. Notable examples from the era of tie-in cereals include Gremlins, Mr. T, and C-3PO cereals. While launching an original cereal could cost companies around $40 million in marketing for the first year, introducing a cereal tied to an established franchise only cost about $10 to $12 million. Even cereals based on Cabbage Patch Kids initially sold well. However, interest in these cereals waned after a year or two, except for Ralston Purina's Ghostbusters cereal, which remained popular for an impressive five years.
Sugar Added
Many cereals today don’t align with John Kellogg’s original vision of a plain, supposedly healthy breakfast. Added sugar began appearing in ingredient lists soon after cereals were first marketed to children. Instead of moving away from the health-food image, companies found a way to keep it while promoting sugary cereals. They created advertisements claiming that the sugar in these cereals provided the energy kids needed to start their day.
The marketing was successful, and the health trends of the 20th century reinforced the wholesome image of cereals. In 1967, Harvard nutritionists Dr. Fredrick Stare and Mark Hegsted published two studies linking dietary fat and cholesterol to heart disease while downplaying the impact of sugar. This perspective was echoed by health experts in the following decades. When the USDA introduced its food pyramid in 1992, it placed protein sources like meat, fish, and nuts near the top, while carbs like bread, pasta, and cereal made up the much larger base.
The Harvard studies advocating a low-fat diet may have been influenced by hidden interests. A 2016 investigation revealed that the research was sponsored by the Sugar Research Foundation, a lobby group aiming to improve the image of sugar among health-conscious consumers. In response, a growing body of studies now highlights the importance of certain fats and the dangers of excessive sugar intake. Moreover, the once-promoted food pyramid, which recommended up to 11 servings of cereal daily, has since been dismissed by government guidelines.
What began as unsupported claims about the merits of a bland diet eventually transformed into unfounded assertions about the advantages of sugar-laden refined carbohydrates. While cereal may still be appealing due to its taste, nostalgia, or a commercial mascot's endorsement, it's best to approach its supposed health benefits with skepticism.
This narrative has been adapted from an episode of Food History on YouTube.
