Apple Jacks

Apple Jacks is a brand of cereal produced by Kellogg's and targeted mainly at children. It was introduced to the U.S. in 1965. The product is described by Kellogg's as a "crunchy, sweetened multi-grain cereal with apple and cinnamon."

Originally, all Apple Jacks cereal pieces were orange and O-shaped, although they have become brighter and more orange colored over the decades. In 1993, O-shaped green pieces were introduced. On December 8, 2003, as part of a marketing promotion, the orange jacks remained O's but the green jacks were X's for a while (actually, 'jack' shaped, from jumping jacks, the campaign was made as adults made the cereal make 'more sense', as with the flavor), and in summer 2006 the green jacks were figure-8's (double O's) for a period of time. More recently, Apple Jacks has introduced New Apple Jacks 'Crashers' - a unique cereal piece that replicates an unfortunate accident from a mid '07 advertising execution. The latest (limited) edition, in early 2008, is "Criss-cross," in which there are 3 colors; orange and green O's and red X's.

Advertising

The first Apple Jacks mascot in the 1960s was "Apple Head", a figure made from cutting a face onto a real apple and applying a hat and pieces of cereal for eyes.

In the late 1960s the box depicted an "Apple Car" with pieces of cereal for wheels.

Around 1971, the official mascots became "The Apple Jacks Kids", a simplistically drawn animated boy and girl duo. The commercials featured the children singing and tumbling around. Their reign lasted almost twenty years, making them the most well-known Apple Jacks mascots and most universally associated with the cereal in the public's memory. During this time, the Apple Jacks jingle became an integral part of the ad campaign: "A is for apple, J is for Jacks, Cinnamon-toasty Apple Jacks!" This campaign was retired in the late 1980s.

A television ad campaign in the 1990s featured rebellious children expressing their enjoyment of Apple Jacks, regardless of its lack of apple flavor. The slogan for this campaign became "We eat what we like". The shift toward marketing cereals directly at children signaled the growing recognition of children's influence on family purchases.

As of 2005, the marketing mascots are a care-free Jamaican cinnamon stick named CinnaMon and an accident-prone apple named Bad Apple. Labeled as "Apple Jacks Adventures" in print advertising, the commercials focus on CinnaMon upstaging Bad Apple by reaching a bowl of Apple Jacks before he can, in spite of the apple's attempts to stop him. Eventually Bad Apple's antagonistic nature was dropped; Bad Apple and CinnaMon were then portrayed as highly competitive friends, both getting into the bowl. The campaign was slated to be retired in 2007, and replaced by a retread of the 1990s campaign focused on children, but fan response to Bad Apple and CinnaMon helped them remain as the mascots.

Taglines

*A bowl a day keeps the bullies away. (1960s-late 1970s)
*Apple Jacks will not be sold to bullies (1960s-late 1970s)
*A is for apple, J is for Jacks. Cinnamon toasty Apple Jacks! (1980 - 1991)
*We eat what we like. (1992 - 2004)
*Apple Jacks. Where the sweet taste of CinnaMon 'Is the winner-mon'. (2005-2006)
*Apple Jacks. Cinnamon, with Apple, is the winna-mon' (2007 -present)

1970s jingle

A is for Apple, J is for Jacks. Cinnamon toasty Apple Jacks! You need a complete breakfast, that's a fact. Start it off with Apple Jacks. Apple Jacks! Apple Jacks! Ten vitamins and minerals-that's what it packs. Apple-tasty, crunchy, too! Kellogg's Apple Jacks!

Apple Jacks in Pop Culture

The term "Apple Jacks" is a commonly used term in rural western New York in reference to warning. Example: "Mack, can you get me a bowl of apple jacks?" This can be translated to "Hide the liquor, your mom is coming down the stairs."