When we were kids, there was nothing better than starting the day with a nice cup of our favorite cereal. And the most fun of all was the huge variety we had to choose from in the markets.
Whether it was their shape, their flavors, nutritional value (ok not that), and of course, the mascots that represented them.
These charismatic breakfast cereal mascots were and continue to be the best marketing tactic of cereal companies. They never fail at hooking the little ones in and turning them into loyal customers.
As we passed that stage and approached adulthood, we forgot a little about the effect the mascots generated in their funny commercials, and we began to care more about their nutritional value. But we never forgot them completely, because their TV appearances, catchphrases, and charm contributed to a memorable childhood. That’s why we’re here to remind you of
The 25 Best Cereal Mascots Of All Time!
Lovable Truly (1964)
- Cereal: Alpha-Bits
- Slogan: “Tastiest cereal you’ve ever met – it’s just like eating up the alphabet!”
- Company: Post Holdings
Here’s a character for our older readers. You’d never think a letter carrier could be a mascot that attracts children, but this strange experiment worked wonders in the 1960s.
Lovable Truly is a simple, happy man who gave off good vibes and fulfilled his noble value of selling boxes of Alpha-Bits.
Lovable Truly was played by comedian Jack E. Leonard, who gave the character a Southern accent that fits him wonderfully. He was also part of the cast of Linus the Lionhearted, sharing credits with the other star mascots. For kids at the time, it was like watching the Avengers unite.
Unfortunately, Lovable Truly was only Alpha Bits’ main mascot for one year, but it was enough to earn him a few fans.
Linus the Lionhearted
- Cereal: Crispy Critters
- Slogan: “The one and only cereal that comes in the shape of animals”.
- Company: Post Cereals
Meet the star of the quintessential animated pet show, Linus the Lionhearted. But before he became popular on television, he was the flagship mascot for Crispy Critters, a sugary oat-based cereal whose pieces were shaped like animals.
Linus’ animated show lasted for years on the air, running on CBS and ABC, until it came to an end in 1969.
The cereal didn’t last much longer than that either, but this lion was an important piece in the history of animated mascots because of his TV series, which introduced other famous characters that are still relevant today.
Hopefully, the king of the jungle will return to the world of cereals and shine alongside the current mascots.
It should be noted that the animated series was not just a great commercial to sell products, it had its plot, character development, and everything necessary to entertain children.
Quisp (1965)
- Cereal: Quisp
- Slogan: “Quisp For Quazy Energy”
- Company: Quaker Oats
Quisp may be a character with a rather simple and strange design, being a pink alien with a propeller-shaped head, but that’s precisely what gave him his great charisma.
In keeping with his otherworldly mascot, Quisp’s cereal was shaped like a saucer. Quisp’s animated advertising shorts were created by Jay Ward, a popular animated series producer.
Quisp was successful in the 1960s and part of the 1970s, even winning several Quaker Oats competitions as its most famous character. However, the cereal went through several relaunches due to poor sales, until 2001 when it earned the title of the first Internet cereal.
Kids were encouraged to log on to the Quisp Website to watch animated shorts of the pink alien and his sidekick, Quunchy.
Crazy Craving (1995)
- Cereal: Honeycomb
- Slogan: “Me Want Honeycomb!”
- Company: Post Holdings
Honeycomb cereal has had several mascots throughout its history, but in the 1990s this breakfast cereal introduced one of the craziest we’ve seen to date.
Crazy Craving is a kind of euphoric marsupial or rat that craves Honeycomb like crazy.
In their commercials, children turn into this animal when they crave to eat this cereal. In short, Crazy Craving is the Crash Bandicoot of cereals, although the Sony character debuted in 1996, a year after the lunatic Crazy Craving. Curious, isn’t it?
Bigg Mixx (1990)
- Cereal: Bigg Mixx
- Slogan: “Answer the call of Bigg Mixx”
- Company: Kelloggs
What better calling card than to hold the fourth place of the scariest cereal personalities? With Bigg Mixx, one of the most bizarre mascots in history.
Bigg Mixx was a strange mix between a rooster, a wolf, a pig, and a moose. This peculiarity was in keeping with the cereal, which was a mixture of various Kellogg cereals. It contained rolled oats, rice, toasted cornflakes, and whole grain wheat, accompanied by ads that suggested that these cereals were joined from the floor of the Kellogs factory.
In addition, the commercials for their wacky mascot were about people spotting Bigg Mixx in the woods near the highway.
Although some found it somewhat disturbing or embarrassing, Bigg Mixx has a small community of fans who have never stopped buying their cereal. After two years on the market, the cereal was discontinued, and since then, there have been no further sightings of the Rooster-Wolf-Moose-Pig.
E.T. (1984)
- Cereal: E.T. Cereal
- Slogan: “A Glowing Part Of A Good Breakfast”
- Company: General Mills
We’re cheating a bit with this one as we all know it was born in Hollywood, but come on, the most popular alien in history had his own cereal, isn’t that great?
Kids were so fond of this cereal that they called it the best cereal of the 80s. However, it didn’t last long on the market, as in 1986 they were discontinued despite their success and innovative cereals in the form of E and T peanut butter and chocolate-flavored crispies. Apparently, any product related to E.T. is destined to oblivion (Yes, we are talking about the Atari E.T. game).
Despite their short life span, these cereals were a huge success among the kids, especially thanks to its TV commercial in which a giant cereal box lands on the planet with the little alien.
If it were still on the market, this would undoubtedly be Spielberg’s favorite breakfast.
Sunny (1966)
- Cereal: Raisin Bran
- Slogan: “Two Scoops Of Raisins In Every Raisin Bran”
- Company: Kelloggs
Usually, cereal mascots are human or animal characters, but Kellogg’s dared to break this formula with Sunny, a smiling sun that perfectly accompanies the Raisin Bran.
With his optimistic and cheerful attitude, Sunny always reminds children that each box of Raisin Bran comes with 2 scoops of the best sun-dried raisins on the market. From the creation of the cereal comes the design and name of this character.
Sugar Bear (1964)
- Cereal: Golden Crisp
- Slogan: “Can’t Get Enough Of That Sugar Crisp”
- Company: Post Consumer Brands
This character debuted in animated commercials in the Linus the Lionhearted show, in which he shared the screen with other mascots of the General Foods brand. Since then, this brave bear has become a fighter for justice, taking on a variety of characters with harmful habits.
His nemesis is Granny Goodwitch, with whom he competed for a box of cereal, although in the end, they remained friends.
Another of his rivals is Blob, who eats junk food and soda for breakfast, something our heroic bear tries to correct with his good advice.
In this way, being cool but at the same time kind, Sugar Bear won the hearts of all children, being one of the best examples to follow even though he is just a cereal mascot. But hey, he even had his own line of toys and themed products.
Sonny the Cuckoo Bird (1962)
- Cereal: Cocoa Puffs
- Slogan: “I’m Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs”
- Company: General Mills
With that clever play on words as a slogan and his Woody Woodpecker-like personality, Sonny quickly became a favorite among kids, boosting sales of the delicious Cocoa Puffs.
Sonny is the number one fan of this cereal, because in the commercials he starred in, we saw him trying to do his homework, but as soon as he saw the slightest ingredient of the Cocoa Puffs, he would burst with emotion, exclaiming his famous phrase.
In the commercials, he was accompanied by Gramps, his grandfather, with whom he lived the funniest situations. Since then, the term “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs” has been used to refer to an irrational person who bursts with euphoria like the charismatic mascot of this cereal.
To this day, Sonny continues to star for Cocoa Puffs alongside his grandfather in commercials that boast high-quality animation.
In an alternate universe, Sonny could have been part of the Looney Tunes without any problem.
Chip the Dog… and the Wolf (1990)
- Cereal: Cookie Crisp
- Slogan: “Cooookie Crisp!”
- Company: General Mills
There is no better pet than a man’s best friend, a dog, and the creators of Cookie Crisp understood this concept very well.
Chip was introduced in the early 90s as a secondary character in the stories of the Cookie Crook and Cookie Cop, the usual protagonists of the commercials of this cereal made with real chocolate chip cookies.
Chip was Cookie Crook’s henchman, alerting him to Cookie Cop’s approaches, but this ended in the early 2000s when Chip’s popularity led him to become the sole representative of Cookie Crisp. He left his criminal ways behind and became a great friend to children, helping them convince their parents to eat his delicious cereal.
In 2005, Chip was redesigned as a wolf, returning to committing crimes like his former partner Cookie Crook. Some things never change…
Honey Monster (1957)
- Cereal: Honey Monster Puffs (Sugar Puffs before)
- Slogan: “You’ll Go Monster-Mad For The Honey”
- Company: Quaker Oats
When you’re a kid, it was pretty normal to be afraid of all kinds of monsters, thinking they’d be waiting for you in the dark, under your bed, or… selling you cereal?
Well, that’s what Quaker thought back then, betting on a honey-crazed monster as a mascot. And guess what, it was a total hit in the UK.
Honey Monster debuted on TV in 1976. The commercials are characterized by children who want honey cereal, and if you don’t give it to them, they get it by force by transforming into the abominable Honey Monster, a creature that more than scaring you, offers you some of its power to achieve your goals.
If only all monsters were this generous.
The Honey Monster has shared the screen with several real-life celebrities such as the Irish band Boyzone and punk poet John Cooper Clarke.
This creature certainly makes up for his madness with his heart.
The Flinstones (1969)
- Cereal: Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles
- Slogan: “They’re Yabba-Dabba-Delicious!”
- Company: Post Holdings
The most beloved modern stone-age family has its own cereal, not so outdated by the looks of it. Pebbles cereal has the honor of being the first cereal in history based on animated TV show characters, leading the way for other companies to do the same.
To promote the product, Hannah-Barbera itself helped make the animated commercials, starring Fred Flinstone and his dear friend, Barney Rubble, with the voices of their original actors, Alan Reed and Mel Blanc.
Since then, the other members of this famous show, such as Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, starred in more commercials with their characteristic humor. Thanks to these two variants of the same cereal, today’s children can know and enjoy the Flinstones, one of the most recognized characters in cartoon history. Yabba Dabba Do!
Coco The Monkey (1963)
- Cereal: Coco Pops
- Slogan: “Just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy!”
- Company: Kellogs
We may not recognize this character, but for our British brothers from the old continent, he is one of their favorites and one of the most watched on TV every day.
Coco is a rather modern monkey wearing a cap with the letter C on it, proudly representing Coco Pops, the delicious chocolate cereals, brothers of Rice Krispies.
Along with his friends Shortie Giraffe, Alan Anteater, Heftie Hippo, Ozmelda Ostrich, Kylie Kangaroo, and Rocky Raccoon, Coco stars in funny commercials in which he faces off against Crafty Croc and the evil gorillas.
This little monkey was the main mascot for Coco Pops in America in the early 1990s, but he didn’t last long in that role. Coco’s home is in the United Kingdom, where he is still the main mascot of the Coco Pops, loved and cherished by all.
Boo Berry (1973)
- Cereal: Boo Berry
- Slogan: “Boo Berry is part of this complete breakfast”
- Company: General Mills
Time to get a little spooky with this list, and what better way than with a paranormal entry?
In the 70s, General Mills had a brilliant idea, to start their own line of classic monster cereals, if Universal had their movie universe, why shouldn’t children have it on their tables at home?
Under that premise, they launched 5 cereals starring Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry, Frute Brute, and Fruity Yummy Mummy.
The blue ghost Boo Berry was given the task of representing blueberry cereals with marshmallows, accompanying his monstrous companions in some funny animated commercials.
Despite his ghostly abilities and the chains he drags around, Boo Berry is a very friendly spirit, more concerned with eating his cereal than scaring people.
To this day, this line of monsters is still on the market, with Boo Berry making more appearances around Halloween.
Dig ‘Em Frog (1972)
- Cereal: Honey Smacks
- Slogan: “Gimme a Smack”.
- Company: Kellogs
He is the frog that conquered the youth of the ’70s and ’80s. Dig ‘Em Frog may be very small in size, but he has a great sense of style and knows how to touch your heart.
With his jokes and good humor, this character boosted the sales of Sugar Smacks (now Honey Smacks), which had just changed its name to approach new customers, more than fulfilling its goal thanks to its mascot.
But for some reason, Dig ‘Em Frog retired in 1986, taking his place with Wally Bear, who could not match the charisma of his predecessor. So disgruntled were fans that they sent letters to Kellogs asking for the frog’s return.
A group of students at a university even staged a protest under the cry “Frog-Aid” For Dig ‘Em Frog!”. This brought Kellogg to its senses, returning the Honey Smacks spotlight back to Dig ‘Em Frog in 1987.
No one is worthy to replace the coolest frog of them all.
Buzz The Bee (1979)
- Cereal: Honey Nut Cheerios
- Slogan: “It’s Honey Nut Cheerios, It’s A Honey Of An O”
- Company: General Mills
For this cereal, they played it safe with both the animal and its name, Buzz The Bee, but boy, does this little guy have charisma.
The most curious thing about this cereal mascot is that the bee did not have a name until the 2000s when they finally decided it was time. However, this lack of identity never affected Buzz Bee, who since the 80s has sponsored Cheerios, one of the best-selling cereals in the United States.
Buzz is a character that has gone through countless voice actors but has always delivered his message successfully, convincing millions of children to try his delicious Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast.
Without a doubt, a bee you wouldn’t be afraid to get close to.
Trix Rabbit (1959)
- Cereal: Trix
- Slogan: “Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!”
- Company: General Mills
A cereal as colorful and flavorful as Trix needed an equally dynamic mascot, and they hit the nail on the head with Trix Rabbit.
Also known as Silly Rabbit, this deceptive animated character tries to trick kids into giving him some Trix by dressing up in the clothes of different jobs, but they always discover his tricks before he gets his way.
Seeing him fail so many times, the children’s viewers vote in a poll so he can enjoy a nice cup of cereal once and for all. The lesson of the day: persistence always pays off.
This rabbit became so popular that his compatriot Bugs Bunny once helped him get a box of cereal. No one can resist reaching out to Trix Rabbit, even though he keeps trying to steal Trix cereal on his own.
He’s so stubborn he can’t just ask for it!
Franken Berry (1971)
- Cereal: Franken Berry
- Slogan: “Franken Berry cereal is coming your way. How about a monster for breakfast today?”
- Company: General Mills
This terrifying and charismatic character saw the light of day alongside Count Chocula (come to think of it, Chocula can’t do that) in 1971, becoming the Monster Cereals’ flagship mascot.
It’s a clear adaptation of Frankenstein’s monster, the most popular classic movie monster behind only his vampiric rival.
Speaking of which, Count Chocula and Franken Berry’s rivalry has been around since their early days in comic strips, in which they debated which of the two has the best cereal.
This struggle has continued to this day, as both are the best-selling mascots of the Monster Cereals. And the truth is that Franken Berry, with its Strawberry-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows, has the arguments to be the king of the monster mascots.
Cap’n Crunch (1963)
- Cereal: Cap’n Crunch
- Slogan: “It’s got corn for crunch, oats for punch, and it stays crunchy, even in milk”
- Company: Quaker Oats
Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch is a century-old sea dog, a veteran of a thousand battles, and an expert navigator who knows the oceans like the back of his hand…
Well, that’s what he would have us believe, since his 18th-century naval uniform only has 3 bars, so the rank of “Captain” Crunch is a bit far from the title he proudly boasts.
But come on, we can’t hate this old man with a white mustache and Napoleon-like airs who bravely captains the ship Guppy, accompanied by his faithful fellow sailors and his pet Seadog. Together, they defend their precious cargo of Cap’n Crunch cereal from the attacks of Jean LaFoote, “The Barefoot Pirate”.
As you can see, this famous cereal mascot has quite a backstory and almost a universe of its own, taking animated cereal commercials to another level.
To this day, Captain Crunch continues to sail the seas on his mission to spread Cap’n Crunch around the world. Although the U.S. Navy is a little upset with him for carrying a false title, to us, he’s a real captain.
Count Chocula (1971)
- Cereal: Count Chocula (Part of the Monster Cereals)
- Slogan: “I Want To Eat Your Cereal”
- Company: General Mills
The famous Transylvanian vampire was one of the first cereals that General Mills launched in its line of 5 monster products. It’s a clear redesign of Dracula, although it’s more fun to think of it as Dracula himself changing his macabre diet to a healthier one with lots of chocolate.
In the animated commercials, he constantly battles Franken Berry over who has the better cereal, referencing the struggle between which of the two monsters is more recognizable in popular culture.
Count Chocula cereal, living up to its name, is made of chocolate-covered corn and marshmallows. To this day, Count Chocula continues to be a protagonist at Halloween time, having several redesigns but always maintaining its spooky yet fun face.
Snap, Crackle, and Pop (1933)
- Cereal: Rice Krispies
- Slogan: “Snap, Crackle, Pop!”
- Company: Kellogs
In this case, we have a spot for 3 characters, but they are inseparable.
These animated elves were born from an onomatopoeia of a Rice Krispies radio commercial which told of the sound the cereal made when placed in a bowl, Snap, Crackle, Pop! It may be hard to hear the first time, but as you try, the sound will form.
Snap is the oldest of 3 of these brothers, a chef by trade and the most sensible. Crackle is the middle child, with all the insecurity that goes with that, and Pop is the naughty little guy who keeps getting into trouble but is so funny you can’t get mad at him.
At first, they had gnome designs, but over time they were given a more youthful, elf-like appearance.
They are one of the oldest cereals on this list, so much so that commercials were made of them during World War II, in which they sent conservation messages. Almost like Captain America, they were used to encourage the troops.
Lucky The Leprechaun (1963)
- Cereal: Lucky Charms
- Slogan: “They’re Magically Delicious!”
- Company: General Mills
With this friendly leprechaun by your side, also called Mr. Charms, you’ll never run out of luck.
Lucky is the protagonist of this cereal of multi-colored marshmallows and pieces of shaped pulverized oat, which are shaped like objects or symbols referring to good luck. Nothing better than some luck in your stomach.
One of the curious facts about Lucky is that he was one of the mascots with a very expensive debut, with a launch in high-budget animated commercials, and some ads published in Sunday Comics at the same time.
The famous leprechaun is still one of the most relevant mascots, using his leprechaun magic to create his characteristic rainbows and spreading his love for nature.
Toucan Sam (1963)
- Cereal: Froot Loops
- Slogan: “Follow Your Nose, It Always Knows!, Just Follow Your Nose”
- Company: Kelloggs
We start the podium with everyone’s favorite toucan, Sam.
Whether you were born 50 years ago or 8 years ago, you know this bird. The most striking thing about his design is his beak, where each band represents a main color of the cereal pieces (Red = cherry, yellow = lemon, orange = orange).
Like the best cereal mascots, his job is to help kids track down his sugary offerings. In Toucan Sam’s case, his sense of smell is his superpower, finding Froot Loops wherever they are intoning his main slogan or “The flavor of fruit! Wherever it grows!”
This passion for fruit is shared with his nephews Puey, Susey, and Louis, who help him fight off enemies who also crave Froot Loops cereal.
Toucan Sam came across an obstacle in 2020 that completely overcame him, a redesign that made him look like a child with a human mouth.
While he wasn’t too bad, he was far from being Sam, so Kellogg’s redesigned him in 2021 bringing him back to his original look although adding green and purple bands to his beak. The people spoke and the people won.
Cornelius Rooster (1957)
- Cereal: Corn Flakes
- Slogan: “Wake up, up, up to Kellogg’s Cornflakes!”
- Company: Kelloggs
Despite not being first place in terms of mascots, Corn Flakes cereal must be the best-known cereal in history. You can find it in every corner of the world, and if you don’t get the original, you get a copy.
That’s how influential this cereal has been in history, and its mascot is no slouch.
Rooster Cornelius was born as a suggestion from Nansi Richards, a friend of the Kellogg family. Nansi based it on the Welsh word “Ceiliog” for rooster, similar to Kelloggs. This gave rise to one of the most popular cereal mascots, which doesn’t have to express much to sell products.
In his first commercials, Cornelius would say his signature phrase when he got his cup of cereal, but as time went by, he stopped talking and just hummed. But he never lost his good attitude and enthusiasm for promoting a healthy breakfast to all the children watching.
Cornelius is the perfect example that sometimes, simplicity is more than enough to succeed.
Tony The Tiger (1952)
- Cereal: Frosted Flakes
- Slogan: “They’re Grrreat!”
- Company: Kelloggs
The first place goes to a legend among legends, an incredible feline, a perfect example for children, Tony The Tiger.
Who knew this iconic character came out of a competition to select a mascot for a new cereal brand?
Trying his luck, Eugene Kolkey submitted Tony The Tiger, winning the competition and receiving help from illustrator Martin Provensen to finish the final design. And the rest is history.
His gravelly voice, which makes you want to exercise as soon as you hear it, is due to Thurl Ravenscroft, who played the character in more than 500 animated commercials. Although Ravenscroft left this world in 2005, he left a part of himself in Tony, giving him his energy and desire to excel.
Tony The Tiger has been so important to Kellogg’s that they gave him his own family, a privilege that most other mascots can’t enjoy. In addition, he has met Hannah-Barbera characters such as Huckleberry Hound and Snagglepuss.
To this day, Tony remains at the top of the cereal mascot Olympus, starring in animated and live-action commercials, and even has his own line of toys and themed products.
But no matter what format he’s in, Tony never abandons his mission to promote sports, motivating kids to lead active, healthy lives.
The future may be uncertain, but if there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that Tony will be there to lend a hand.
And so we end this long but entertaining list in which we remember the 25 best cereal mascots of our childhood.
Beyond their position in the ranking, each of the characters has specially marked us, and if you didn’t know any of them, give their delicious cereals a chance because in the end that is their mission, to make our breakfasts the most fun.
