The Wheaties Box: A Champion’s Cardboard Trophy 4
Achievement. Controversy. Beauty.
And yes, even (perhaps especially) scandal and shame can get you on the cover of Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, or Time magazine.
But one – and only one – necessity is required for an appearance on the coveted face of a Wheaties cereal box: Champion.
In one of history’s most brilliant marketing schemes, the idea of merging the image and relevant minutia of a popular sports figure with a nutritious morning meal launched an American tradition which has endured for over 75 years.
And what better way for average Joe to justify casting etiquette aside in favor of reading at the table?
Wheaties first hit the market in 1924. It was sold in a rather plain box without the famous action images generations have come to expect. Even so, the cold cereal – in flake form – was a novelty and quickly became popular. Previously, breakfast cereals were only of the hot porridge variety, similar to oatmeal or creamed wheat.
In early 1930s America, sports was in its heyday. Clever marketing agents at General Mills seized on the idea of placing fictional athletes on the Wheaties box. They were given names suggestive of positive athletic ideals, such as Jack Armstrong and Betty Fairfield. Jack and Betty were depicted in action poses with golf club and tennis racquet. Read the rest of this entry →