Saturday, February 20, 2016

Toonfomercial: Remember Big Yellow? (1977)

In 1977, Kellogg's changed the name of one of its cereals. Sugar Pops became Sugar Corn Pops, and would ultimately drop the Sugar part of the name 8 years later, as the movement toward healthier breakfasts was just beginning.

Kellogg's ad agency created the character of Big Yellow, a cowboy so designated by his yellow hat. No, they couldn't get the rights to H. A. Rey's Curious George, which would have made this so much easier. It's said that Big Yellow was modeled after actor-singer-songwriter Jerry Reed, but the voice is distinctively that of the inestimable Paul Frees..........



Frees was also the voice of Toucan Sam, touting Froot Loops, for a number of years. Unfortunately, Big Yellow was long gone by the time of the final name change to Corn Pops.

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