Tony. The Trix Rabbit. Capt'n Crunch. Snap. Crackle. Pop. Some of the oh so many names of fictional characters brought to life from various cereal brands. Its almost hard to imagine cereals that I grew up with that didn't have a character name attached to it.
Growing up, I always enjoyed seeing the character change and doing different things. I loved reading the backs of the boxes and playing the games that the characters were always involved with.
I never really understood the point of mascots or characters until I started my advertising journey, and now I truly see what Leo Burnett was thinking. The characters really allow you to gain a personal feeling towards a product. You kind of get to know them in a way, especially when your young and eating cereal day after day.
I think the most memorable of all the characters for me is Tony the Tiger. He's just the first one that jumps to mind when I think about a brand's character. Over the years he has gone through many changes, but he's always been around. I do find that Tony is disappearing a bit more these days, but it might just be because I am growing up (although I do enjoy a nice big bowl of Tucan Sam's Fruit Loops every now and then!).
Cereal characters, or any characters for that matter, really are great ideas that truly help to build a brand. Its almost funny to imagine Frosted Flakes without Tony. I don't think I want to imagine Frosted Flakes without Tony the Tiger. No matter how old I get, I will always remember Tony and the mornings with the big bowls of Frosted Flakes.
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