Alpha-Bits

Alpha-Bits, also known as Frosted Alpha-Bits, is a breakfast cereal made by Post Cereals, which contains frosted alphabet-shaped corn cereal bits. Post Cereals also started producing Marshmallow Alpha-Bits in 1990.

Alpha-Bits cereal was invented by a father of seven named Thomas M. Quigley who worked for Post Cereals. The cereal was introduced in 1958, and was taken off the market in 2006. However, Alpha-Bits reappeared for sale in January 2008 with a new formulation, touting "0% Sugar!" as a "Limited Edition" cereal. The old recipe was reintroduced later in 2008.

Beginning in 1964, the mascot for Alpha-Bits was a postman (Post Man) named Loveable Truly, who was originally voiced by insult comic Jack E. Leonard in a Southern accent. Loveable Truly was also a character in the 1960s cartoon show Linus the Lionhearted on CBS, along with other Post Cereals mascots at the time (including Sugar Bear of Golden Crisp, then called Sugar Crisp). Since then, mascots have included the Alpha-Bits Wizard, who appeared near children in kitchens. In Canada, the last Alpha-Bits mascot was Alpha, a computer who "makes bits". He continues to be used as of 2010. The Canadian Alpha at first resembled IBM PCs, but recent versions have begun to look like Macintoshes. In the 1980s there was yet another mascot named Alfie the Alpha-Bits Cereal Wonder Dog.

Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five starred in a series of Alpha-Bits musical TV commercials in 1973.

Marshmallow Alpha-Bits

Marshmallow Alpha-Bits was a breakfast cereal made by Post Cereals, containing frosted alphabet-shaped corn cereal bits and marshmallows. Marshmallow Alpha-Bits was introduced in 1990. This version of the original Alpha-Bits cereal is basically the same, except it contains marshmallow vowels. The marshmallows included pink A's, yellow E's, purple I's, orange O's, green U's, and, later, blue Y's. Over time, the marshmallows have gone through various changes such as super-swirls, two-in-one and splits in their colors. As of 2011, Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is not in production.

The Invention of Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is not commonly known, but was invented by a small time entrepreneur named Andrew R. Miller, and his cousin, Andrew W. Peterson, a chef at a local restaurant in upstate New York. The pair sold the idea to Post in 1989.

In August 2005, Post Cereals introduced sugar free Alpha-Bits Cereal [1]. Every variation of the Alpha-Bits line is now made completely with whole grains and three grams of fiber per serving.

Taglines

• ...Tastiest cereal you've ever met -- it's just like eating up the alphabet!
• They're A-B-C-Delicious!
• Think smart. Think Alpha-Bits cereal. (Canada only)
• Alpha-Bits, you know you want them, come and have some!
• Post Alpha-Bits cereal is a proud sponsor of Arthur on PBS.

Appearances in the media

• A season 1 episode of Family Guy features Peter and Brian at the table, where Peter is eating a bowl of breakfast cereal. Peter suddenly exclaims, "Oh my God! Brian, there's a message in my Alpha Bits! It says 'Ooooo!'" A visibly annoyed Brian looks up from his newspaper and says, "Peter, those are Cheerios."
• This cereal can be seen in the 2003 movie Anger Management.
• In the All Grown Up! episode Interview With a Campfire, Tommy says "Coming from the man who communicates with aliens in the Alpha-Bits commercial".
• This cereal can be seen in the background of the opening scene of Houses of the Holy.
• This cereal appears in Diary of a Wimpy Kid where Greg rushed to breakfast in the beginning. He is seen pouring milk and Alpha Bits into his mouth.
• This cereal is seen in Pretty Little Liars when Emily pours it in her bowl to discover it's all A's.

See also

• Alphabet pasta

External links

• Alpha-Bits page