Breakfast Cereals From The Groovy Era
By December 23, 2018
When you think of the word, “invention,” typically something along the lines of science and technology comes to mind. So, thinking along those lines, breakfast cereal might not be something considered an invention, but it was just that!
Breakfast cereal was an American invention created by James Caleb Jackson.
The history of breakfast cereal began as the brainchild of an American gentleman named James Caleb Jackson. Jackson was known to be a religious conservative. He was also a vegetarian and was determined to come up with a healthy alternative to traditional breakfast fodder which, at the time, consisted largely of starchy foods and fatty meats.
The first known breakfast cereal was not meant to be sweet and fruity, but rather a healthy way for vegetarians to eat.
Jackson’s version of breakfast cereal may not have been appealing to the taste buds but was a healthy alternative for vegetarians, like himself. He made his invention out of dried graham flour dough. After the dough was dried, it was broken into small, bite-sized pieces. The problem, however, was that it was so hard it had to be soaked in milk overnight in order to eat it without breaking any teeth! Yum!
Jackson called his breakfast cereal invention, “granula.” It would later be called, “granola.”
Fast forward many years to the groovy era and breakfast cereal was considered to be a novelty. Cereal manufacturers like Kellogg's, Quaker and C.W. Post were onboard with marketing their products to children. They came with plenty of sugar, fruity flavors, brightly colored tidbits, and dried fruit. Kids couldn’t resist and it worked like a charm!
I bet Caleb Jackson never dreamed of including a cool prize, like a mystery decoder, with his breakfast cereal!
Cereal manufactures cleverly marketed their products to children by way of TV commercials, taglines, jingles and fun surprises in every box. Additionally, many of the cereal manufacturers had lively and lovable mascots that went a long way in promoting their brands.
If you were a product of the groovy era, you will remember these famous breakfast cereals and their slogans:
- Tony the Tiger emerged in the ‘50s but endured throughout the groovy era and beyond. He was a lovable and not so scary tiger who advertised Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. His famous tagline was, “They’re Gr-r-r-eat!” This very well may be the most recognized cereal tagline of all time.
