The First Cereal Mascot Was Surprisingly Boring Compared To Its Colorful Successors

Most foods aren't associated with a particular character — except for cereal brands. Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula, Lucky the Leprechaun, Toucan Sam, the Snap, Crackle, Pop trio, and Sunny the Sun are just a few of the vibrant and iconic characters found on cereal boxes today and discontinued cereals of the past. But the very first cereal mascot is different than all the rest: It's simply a man, but more specifically, a Quaker man.

Quaker Oats has an impressive claim to fame: It was the first to trademark a breakfast cereal in 1877. The trademark included the concept of the iconic character we still see today, but with some variation. The original mascot was more of a black and white fine line drawing, and was a full body portrait, rather than just the headshot we know today. The man is seen wearing the traditional clothing of the late 1800s, including a wide-brimmed hat, wig, a button coat, and breeches. He is holding a rolled piece of parchment that says "pure".

Wait, what is a Quaker? You might have learned about Quakers in a history class, but these are what members of The Society of Friends, a Christian church, are called. Quakers emphasize the importance of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and actively promote peace and protest war. Today, over 80,000 Quakers still exist in the United States and Canada. Quaker values, like integrity, purity, and honesty, are what inspired the name of the company –- but the founders were not Quakers themselves.

Rumor has it that the character is intended to be modeled after William Penn, a Quaker in England who immigrated to North America to practice freedom of religion, starting the province of Pennsylvania. While this is logical, the company has never confirmed it as true. PepsiCo, which now owns Quaker, has stated that the mascot is not a real person.

However, the mascot does have a name -– Larry. The full-body portrait of Larry was updated in 1946 to a black-and-white headshot. The character maintains his wig, hat, and traditional clothing, but was updated with a kind smile. Color was added to the logo in 1957, and what we see on boxes today is similar to what it was then, with small updates to coloring and font. The most recent update seems to have been in 2012, with some color changes and the mascot's face being slimmed down slightly.

Putting bright and colorful characters on cereal boxes is a strong marketing tactic to get children to positively associate with certain cereals ... so who is the Quaker man for? He's not so colorful, and he's just a man -– not an animal, cartoon, or mythical creature. With simple products like old-fashioned oats and grocery store granola brands, it's safe to assume that this brand isn't trying to entice children, but rather the parents of children and more health-conscious consumers who align with the Quaker values. To make your bowl of Quaker oats more tasty, avoid making these mistakes.