"Just in time for Halloween, we've unearthed a retro cereal with a monstrous cast of mascots and a jingle that will haunt you - or at least, become instantly stuck in your head. Depending on your age, this gem might be one of the vintage cereals you don't remember anymore, or it might be the one you miss most, humming its theme song whistfully while you settle for more mundane offerings. So, where did Freakies go?"
"Ralston was a company that merged with Purina in 1902 - yes, the Purina that makes dog food. The brand is behind some of the best breakfast cereals still around today, like Chex. However, it also spearheaded a strange and problematic social movement, so cereal fans might be glad to know it's not around anymore; its existing cereals were sold to General Mills in 1994."
Freakies debuted in 1973 as a puffed grain loop cereal similar to Cheerios. Ralston marketed Freakies using a cast of seven colorful, lumpy creatures named Grumble, Boss Moss, Goody-Goody, Gargle, Cowmumble, Snorkeldorf, and Hamhose and positioned them as cute and funny rather than scary. A 1974 commercial featured a minute-long "We Are the Freakies" jingle and depicted the characters gathering at a "Freakies tree" for an endless supply of cereal. Ralston merged with Purina in 1902 and later sold its existing cereals to General Mills in 1994. The jingle and characters generated lasting nostalgia among consumers.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]