Wheaties is a brand of
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
breakfast cerealA breakfast cereal is a packaged breakfast food. It is eaten cold, usually mixed with milk or water, but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge. Some companies promote their products for the health benefits from eating oat-based and high-fiber cereals....
. It is well-known for featuring prominent athletes on the exterior of the package, and has become a minor cultural icon. Primarily comprised of a wheat and bran mixture baked into flakes, it was introduced in 1924
Wheaties was created in 1922, as a result of an accidental spill of a wheat bran mixture onto a hot stove by a
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
clinician working for the Washburn Crosby Company (later
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
).
Wheaties is a brand of
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
breakfast cerealA breakfast cereal is a packaged breakfast food. It is eaten cold, usually mixed with milk or water, but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge. Some companies promote their products for the health benefits from eating oat-based and high-fiber cereals....
. It is well-known for featuring prominent athletes on the exterior of the package, and has become a minor cultural icon. Primarily comprised of a wheat and bran mixture baked into flakes, it was introduced in 1924
History
Creation
Wheaties was created in 1922, as a result of an accidental spill of a wheat bran mixture onto a hot stove by a
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
clinician working for the Washburn Crosby Company (later
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
). By November 1924, after over 36 attempts to strengthen the flakes to withstand packaging, the process for creating the flakes had been perfected by the Washburn head miller, George Cormack, and the cereal was named Washburn's Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes. Soon after, the name was changed to Wheaties as a result of an employee contest won by the wife of a company export manager, Jane Bausman. Other names passed over included "Nutties" and "Gold Medal Wheat Flakes".
Early sports association
Wheaties began its association with
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
s in 1927, through advertising on the southern wall of
minor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
's
Nicollet ParkNicollet Park is a former baseball ground located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The ground was home to the minor league Minneapolis Millers of the Western League and later American Association from 1896 to 1955. During its first season it was officially known as Wright Field name for...
in Minneapolis,
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
. In the contract, Wheaties sponsored the radio broadcasts of the minor league baseball team,
Minneapolis MillersThe Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
, on radio station WCCO and Wheaties was provided with a large billboard in the park to use to introduce new slogans. The first such slogan on the new signboard was penned by Knox Reeves, of a Minneapolis advertising agency. When asked what should be placed on the sign for Wheaties, Reeves sketched a Wheaties box on a pad of paper, thought for a moment, and wrote
"Wheaties-The Breakfast of Champions".
Throughout the 1930s, Wheaties increased in popularity with its sponsorship of baseball broadcasting, and by the end of the decade, nearly a hundred radio stations carried Wheaties sponsored events. During these events, athlete testimonials about Wheaties were used to demonstrate that Wheaties was indeed the breakfast of champions. Also in the early 1930s, athletes began to be depicted on the packaging of Wheaties, and the tradition is continued today. See
List of athletes on Wheaties boxes.
The heyday of Wheaties came in the 1930s and early 1940s, as
testimonialIn promotion and of advertising, a testimonial or endorsement consists of a written or spoken statement, sometimes from a person figure, sometimes from a private citizen, extolling the virtue of some product. The term "testimonial" most commonly applies to the sales-pitches attributed to ordinary...
s peaked from nearly every sport imaginable. Among the many testimonials included were:
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
stars, managers, and trainers;
broadcastersAn announcer is a voice actor who works in television, radio or film, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in television commercials or a guest on a talk show....
;
footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
stars and coaches;
circusA circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, animals, trapeze acts, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists. The word also describes the performance that they give, which is usually a series of acts that are...
stars and
rodeoRodeo is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western...
;
livestock breedersLivestock are one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food or fiber, or labor...
; a
railroad engineerRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
; horsemen and
jockeyIn sport, a jockey is one who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing; however, camel jockey profession is slowly being replaced by robotics.-Horse racing:...
s; a big-game
hunterHunting is the practice of pursuing living animals for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
;
automobile racersAutomobile racing is a motorsport involving racing cars. It is one of the world's most watched television sports.- The beginning of racing:...
; an
aviatorAn aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
; a
speedboatAn outboard motor is installed on the rear of a boat and contains the internal combustion engine, the gearbox, and the propeller.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a powerplant and an outboard, where the internal combustion engine is installed inside the boat, and the gearbox and propeller...
driver; an
explorerExploration is the act of searching or traveling a terrain for the purpose of discovery, e.g. of unknown people, including space , for oil, gas, coal, ores, caves, water, , or information.Although exploration has existed as long as human beings, its peak is seen as being during the Age of Discovery...
; and
parachutistsA parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag. Parachutes are made out of cloth, most commonly nylon....
.
Wheaties maintained brand recognition through its definitive association with sports, and its distinctive orange boxes. It became so popular that in the 1939
All-Star GameAn all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
, 46 of the 51 players endorsed the cereal. In the months following, Wheaties became a sponsor of the first televised commercial sports broadcast. On August 29, 1939, NBC presented the baseball game between the
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They are members of the Central Division of the National League....
and the
Brooklyn DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The team is in the Western Division of the National League. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming the Brooklyn...
to approximately 500
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
set owners in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, while
Red BarberWalter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
was the inaugural play-by-play broadcaster.
A measure of the product's familiarity is the reference in the 1941 baseball song
Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, performed by
Les BrownLes Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University...
and his orchestra during
DiMaggioJoseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr., was an American baseball player for the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955...
's record hitting streak. In the song, Joe D. gets a clutch base hit, and the band awards him "a case of Wheaties".
Ties with Ronald Reagan
Wheaties radio broadcasting in the 1930s touched the early career of
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
, who was at the time a sports broadcast announcer in
Des MoinesDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
,
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of...
. He was asked to create play-by-play recreations of
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago , the Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the...
baseball games using transcripted telegraph reports; his job performance in this role led to his selection in 1937 as the most popular Wheaties announcer in the nation. He was awarded an all-expenses paid trip to the Cubs' spring training camp in
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, and while there he took a
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Warner Bros. Pictures, or simply Warner Bros.—the shortened form of the former official, sometimes still used, formal corporate name: Warner Brothers
screen test. This led to his eventual film career, thus the Wheaties claim of perhaps leading Reagan into show business, and later politics as governor and 40th President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
.
Changes and children's promotions
Due to increasing costs in the 1940s of sponsorship of broadcasting, Wheaties began simple commercial sports testimonials on television or radio. These were less effective than the overall sponsorship (especially in the case of television), yet also greatly reduced costs for advertising of the product.
In the early 1950s, costs and strategy forced General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
to redirect the Wheaties brand into a focus on children, alongside such noted brands as CheeriosCheerios is a brand of breakfast cereal. Cheerios was first produced on June 19, 1941 and is marketed by the General Mills cereal company of Golden Valley, Minnesota, as the first oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal. It was called Cheeri Oats at first, later changed to Cheerios because of a trade...
, which had great success in this market. While initially seen as a growth measure, sales of Wheaties declined dramatically even after association with The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger is an American radio and television show created by George W. Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker.The eponymous character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West, originally played by Paul Halliwell, who gallops about righting injustices with the aid of his...
and The Mickey Mouse Club, mainly due to the adult cereal consumers dislike of a "children's cereal". More children did in fact eat Wheaties due to this association, but the gain was not enough to increase sales, much less stave off the decline of adult consumption.
Return of sports association
Because of the great decline in sales in the middle part of the 1950s, by 1958 General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
was convinced that the sporting roots of Wheaties were its strongest selling point. In that year, the marketing strategy employed a three-pronged assault. First was the selection of the brand's first spokesman, Bob RichardsThe Rev. Robert "Bob" Eugene Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...
, two-time OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
pole vault champion. Second, Wheaties reentered the sports television sponsorship arena, while pioneering the concepts of the pre and post-game show, and third was the introduction of the Wheaties Sports Federation. The Wheaties Sports Federation promoted physical fitness, training, and participation in athletic events, through direct financial support of Olympic educational programs and the Jaycee Junior Champ track and field competition, and also through educational and instructional athletic films.
From the 1960s through the 1990s, Wheaties provided in-box promotions, but maintained a focus on athletic fitness and on-the-box sports figure promotions. Since the debut of the front cover depiction of Bob RichardsThe Rev. Robert "Bob" Eugene Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...
, hundreds of athletes have been shown and promoted, including entire baseball, basketball, and football teams, while also highlighting Olympic successes (including regional Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics is an international organization created to two years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. There are also local, national and regional competitons in over 150 countries worldwide.-History:...
editions). Wheaties also does not limit itself to current athletic stars, as special edition boxes have depicted baseball players from the early 20th century, and many athletes who were too early for Wheaties to cover (see Jim ThorpeJacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28
* , americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete...
).
Wheaties firsts and records
- 1926 - First ever singing radio commercial, using the jingle "Have you tried Wheaties?" (to the tune of Jazz Baby
Jazz Baby is a song published in 1919, written by Blanche Merrill and M.K. Jerome.The rights to the song were acquired by the manufacturers of Wheaties cereal in 1926, for the purpose of using it as an advertising jingle...
)
- 1934 - First athlete depicted on a Wheaties box - Baseball player Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig was an American baseball player in the 1920s and 1930s, chiefly remembered for his prowess as a hitter, his consecutive games-played record and its subsequent longevity, and the pathos of his farewell from baseball at age 36, when he was stricken with a fatal disease...
- 1934 - First woman depicted on a Wheaties box - Aviator Elinor Smith
Elinor Smith is a pioneering American aviatrix, once known as "The Flying Flapper of Freeport". She was the first woman test pilot for both Fairchild and Bellanca ....
- 1935 - First woman athlete depicted on a Wheaties box - Golfer and athlete Babe Zaharias
Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete named by the Guinness Book of Records, along with Lottie Dod, as the most versatile female competitor...
- 1936 - First African American Athlete on a Wheaties box - Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 metres, the 200 metres, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay...
- 1939 - First televised commercial sports broadcast sponsorship, of the 1939 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1939 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 7th playing of the mid-summer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 1939 at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York City, the home...
- 1958 - First athlete depicted on the front of a Wheaties box - Pole vault
Pole vaulting is an athletic field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
er Bob RichardsThe Rev. Robert "Bob" Eugene Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...
- 1969 - First golfer depicted on the front of a Wheaties box - Lee Trevino
Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex".-Early life:...
- 1984 - First woman athlete depicted on the front of a Wheaties box - Gymnast Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast. She was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title.-Personal life:...
- 1986 - First football player depicted on the front of a Wheaties box - Walter Payton
Walter Payton was an American football player who spent his entire professional career with the National Football League's Chicago Bears. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
- 1987 - First team depicted on a Wheaties box - 1987 World Series
The 1987 World Series, in which the Minnesota Twins defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, was the first World Series in which the home team won all seven games. This also happened in 1991 and 2001. The World Series victory by the Twins was the first for the franchise since 1924, when the team was...
Champion Minnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
- 1991 - First ice hockey team depicted on a Wheaties box - 1991 Stanley Cup
The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. As of 2009, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the...
Champion Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League and are the defending Stanley Cup champions. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first...
- 1992 - First non-orange Wheaties box, colored red and black in honor of the Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
- 1997 - First automobile race driver depicted on the front of a Wheaties box - Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his career driving stock cars in NASCAR's top division. Earnhardt had four children, Kerry, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Dale Jr., and Taylor Earnhardt...
- 2001 - First sombo wrestler featured on Wheaties boxes (Wheaties Energy Crunch) - James Chico Hernandez
James "Chico" Hernandez is an accomplished athlete in the sport of Sombo wrestling and a five-time member of the Team USA National Team.- Early Years :...
- 2002 - First university wrestler featured on Wheaties boxes - Cael Sanderson
Cael Steven Sanderson , is considered one of the greatest American amateur wrestlers of all time. He is the current head wrestling coach at Penn State University...
- 2005 - First women professional sports team to appear on Wheaties box - Sacramento Monarchs
The Sacramento Monarchs is a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Sacramento, California. The team is one of the WNBA's eight original franchises and was noted early on for standout players Ticha Penicheiro, Ruthie Bolton and Yolanda Griffith.While the Monarchs have been one of...
- 2006 - First college football rivalry to appear on Wheaties Box - State Farm Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies
- Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and active businessman. His biography on the National Basketball Association website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed...
holds the record for most depictions on a Wheaties box, a total of 18 times, followed by Tiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
at 14 times.
Spokespersons
There have been a total of seven spokespersons for the Wheaties brand since 1958, including with their date of selection:
- Bob Richards
The Rev. Robert "Bob" Eugene Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...
- 1958
- Bruce Jenner
William Bruce Jenner is a former U.S. track and field athlete, motivational speaker, socialite, and television personality, known principally for winning the gold medal for decathlon in the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics....
- 1977
- Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast. She was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title.-Personal life:...
- 1984
- Walter Payton
Walter Payton was an American football player who spent his entire professional career with the National Football League's Chicago Bears. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
- 1986
- Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. According to the Women's Tennis...
- 1987
- Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and active businessman. His biography on the National Basketball Association website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed...
- 1988
- Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
- 1998
Related cereals
Like many popular cereal brands from the early 20th century, Wheaties has had its share of spin-offA spin-off is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as television series based on a pre-existing one, or a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator...
brands. Also, several athletes featured on the cereal boxes of regular Wheaties are featured on these brands. These are the three brands which have been created in response to the popularity of Wheaties, along with their introduction date:
- Honey Frosted Wheaties (Commonly abbreviated HFW) - 1996
- Crispy Wheaties 'n' Raisins (Commonly abbreviated CWR) - 1996
- Wheaties Energy Crunch (Commonly abbreviated WEC) - 2001
Pop culture
Another measure of the product's familiarity are satirical references. Clearly, this old joke was getting some mileage in the early 1970s:
- In a Cheech & Chong parody of ABC's Wide World of Sports in 1973:
- "Welcome to "White" World of Sports, brought to you by Budweiser
Budweiser is an American-style lager and is one of the most popular beers in the United States. Budweiser is made with a large proportion of rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the United States and the rest of the world. It is a...
- Breakfast of Champions!"
- The title of Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel Breakfast of Champions
Breakfast of Champions, or Goodbye Blue Monday is a 1973 novel by the American author Kurt Vonnegut. Set in the fictional town of Midland City, it is the story of "two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast." One of these men, Dwayne Hoover, is a normal-looking but...
comes from a waitress who utters that phrase when she serves a martiniThe martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth. The drink is almost always garnished with an olive or, less commonly, a sliver of lemon peel. It is often described as being "crisp". Over the years, the martini has become one of the most well-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken once...
.
- In the script of Paul Auster and Wayne Wang's film: Blue in the Face, Bob (played by Jim Jarmusch) discusses giving up smoking with Auggie. He remarks: "..Coffee and cigarettes, you know? That's like "breakfast of champions." (Paul Auster: Smoke and Blue in the Face, Faber and Faber 1995, page 230, lines 9-10)
- At the end of songs by Wesley Willis
Wesley Willis was a busker, musician and artist from Chicago. He was a diagnosed chronic schizophrenic, he gained a sizeable cult following in the 1990s after releasing several hundred songs of simple but unique music, with emphasis on his humorous, bizarre, and frequently obscene lyrics...
, he would often exclaim, "Rock over London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. Rock on ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
. Wheaties, breakfast of champions!"
- A 1977 Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
sketch parodied commercials for Wheaties, for a product called "Little Chocolate Donuts". Cast member John BelushiJohn Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician notable for his work on Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon's Animal House, and The Blues Brothers...
impersonated Bruce JennerWilliam Bruce Jenner is a former U.S. track and field athlete, motivational speaker, socialite, and television personality, known principally for winning the gold medal for decathlon in the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics....
, stating that Little Chocolate Donuts has enough sugar to get him going in the morning. At the end, Marv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Albert grew up in Brooklyn, where he...
says "Little Chocolate Donuts, The donuts of champions!"
- One-cent pieces that were minted from 1909 through 1958 have wheat ears on one side; hence, they are often known as "Wheaties".
- Wheaties is reference in the song "Wheaties" by Tech Nine from the album "Killer"
See also
External links