Several brands of cereal were introduced in the 1960s.
The 1960s was an era of change and the intermingling of cultures. Diversity and innovation was seen within the fashion industry, media and cuisine while the Vietnam War went on throughout the entire decade. Easy meal alternatives, such as cereals, were continuously launched in the 1960s and captured the minds of children and adults alike with catchy jingles and colorful mascots.
Cap'n Crunch
Cap'n Crunch cereals emerged throughout the 1960s. The Quaker Oats Company introduced the regular Cap'n Crunch in 1963, Cap'n Crunch's Berries Crunch followed in 1967 and Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch was released in 1969. The crunches are pillow-shaped biscuits made of sweetened corn and oats. According to the Quaker Oats Company's website, animator Jay Ward is responsible for the creation of the Cap'n character and other mascots such as Smedley the Elephant and the Brunch Berry Beast.
Crispy Critters
Post Cereal's Crispy Critters were initially marketed in 1963. Crispy Critters resembled animal-shaped cookies made of oats and frosted with brown sugar. They had the same crunch and consistency of a cookie. Linus the Lionhearted served as the mascot in commercials with the slogan, "the one and only cereal that comes in the shape of animals," exemplified by a stampede of animal shaped cereals toppling over him. These commercials are archived by the Duke University Libraries and can be viewed via iTunes.
Froot Loops
Froot Loops, produced by Kellogg's and sold throughout the world, premiered in 1963. Toucan Sam is the mascot of these artificially sweetened whole grain oats that represent various fruit flavors. Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide displays the original Toucan Sam featuring a longer beak with two pink stripes. Froot Loops come in circular, wheel shapes and colors of the rainbow. Froot Loops originally consisted of red loops which represented cherry, yellow for lemon-flavored and orange.
Total
Total was one of the first cereals, which launched in 1961, that was promoted as a healthy breakfast. This General Mills-branded cereal is infused with several vitamins and minerals, providing 100 percent of the Daily Value recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The whole grain wheat flakes contain folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, D and E.
Wackies
General Mills introduced Wackies in 1965. Wackies consisted of shaped oat cereal and sweet, banana flavored bits with silly names such as banana bingles, banana jangles, oat glots and oat gloops. The banana bits were similar to marshmallows in taste and texture. Television commercials showcased Wackies' mascots as cartoon characters, the Wackies Boy and the Banana Wackies Gorilla as described by Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide.
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