The History of Frosted Flakes

Kellogg’s debuted Frosted Flakes in 1952, just two years after releasing Corn Pops. Frosted Flakes were originally known as Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes. They were packaged in a brightly colored box adorned with an early version of Tony the Tiger and an unnamed cub. Although the famous Tony the Tiger mascot was a key part of the Frosted Flakes brand from the beginning, his place wasn’t always guaranteed. Some of Kellogg’s first boxes of Frosted Flakes featured different mascots, including Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant, and Newt the Gnu. Reports revealed Tony was the most popular of the four mascots tested, so the brand made him their official mascot. In 1953, an ad for Frosted Flakes featuring Tony the Tiger appeared in LIFE magazine. Similar ads and TV spots helped popularize the cereal and made Tony the Tiger one of the most recognizable mascots in the world. In 1969, Kellogg’s gained even more notoriety when they sent Frosted Flakes to the moon on the Apollo 11 mission. They included space-themed stickers in cereal boxes for kids to collect and even co-sponsored the TV broadcast of the moon landing. In 1983, Kellogg’s removed the word “sugar” from the cereal’s name, officially rebranding the product simply as “Frosted Flakes.” Despite the name change, the cereal has come under fire in recent years for its high sugar content and relatively low nutritional value. Today, Frosted Flakes are still included on grocery store shelves and thanks to the popularity of Tony the Tiger, the cereal remains one of the most recognizable brands in the world.