Golden Crisp
Encyclopedia
Golden Crisp is a breakfast cereal
made by Post Cereals
and introduced in 1949 as Sugar Crisp. It consists of sweetened puffed wheat.
In a 2008 comparison of the nutritional value of 27 cereals, U.S. magazine Consumer Reports
found that Golden Crisp and Kellogg's
Honey Smacks
were the two brands with the highest sugar content—more than 50 percent (by weight)—commenting that one serving of this or other high-sugar cereals contained at least as much sugar "as there is in a glazed
doughnut
from Dunkin' Donuts
". The two cereals are both sweetened puffed wheat. Consumer Reports recommended parents to choose cereal brands with better nutritional ratings for their children.
, an anthropomorphic cartoon
bear
character known as Sugar Bear
, who sings the jingle
, "Can't get enough of that Golden Crisp." In the 1980s, Sugar Bear could turn into "Super Bear" upon eating it, and the jingle was appended, "it's got the crunch with punch". Sugar Bear's voice, provided by Gerry Matthews for forty years, was reminiscent of Bing Crosby
or Dean Martin
.
Golden Crisp has undergone drastic changes in marketing over the years, including changing the name from Sugar Crisp to Super Sugar Crisp to Super Golden Crisp (during a time when many cereals dropped the word "Sugar" from their titles) to the current name. The focus of advertising shifted from targeting children to including parents, by downplaying the sweet taste (and associated sugar content).
In the late 1970s, there was a short-lived variation on the original Sugar Crisp, called Super Orange Crisp, which had orange-flavored O's in it.
The product is still sold as Sugar Crisp in some areas, mainly in the Canadian
market. In Canada, the box still displays Sugar Bear, whose jingle was always "Can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp." The brand name "Golden Crisp" is not used in Canadian markets.
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
made by Post Cereals
Post Cereals
Post Foods, LLC, also known as Post Cereals is a food company that was founded by C.W. Post in 1895 with the first Postum, a "cereal beverage," developed by Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts, was developed in 1897. Post has its headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza...
and introduced in 1949 as Sugar Crisp. It consists of sweetened puffed wheat.
In a 2008 comparison of the nutritional value of 27 cereals, U.S. magazine Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
found that Golden Crisp and Kellogg's
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
Honey Smacks
Honey Smacks
Honey Smacks is a sweetened puffed wheat breakfast cereal made by Kellogg's.-Naming:Introduced in 1953, the cereal has undergone several name changes. It started out as Sugar Smacks. In the 1980s, it was renamed Honey Smacks...
were the two brands with the highest sugar content—more than 50 percent (by weight)—commenting that one serving of this or other high-sugar cereals contained at least as much sugar "as there is in a glazed
Glaze (cooking technique)
A glaze in cooking is a coating of a glossy, often sweet, sometimes savoury, substance applied to food typically by dipping, dripping, or with a brush. Egg whites and basic icings are both used as glazes...
doughnut
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
from Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
". The two cereals are both sweetened puffed wheat. Consumer Reports recommended parents to choose cereal brands with better nutritional ratings for their children.
Marketing
The advertisements feature its mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, an anthropomorphic cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
character known as Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear is the advertising cartoon mascot of Post Super Sugar Crisp cereal, appearing in commercials for the cereal.-History:...
, who sings the jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
, "Can't get enough of that Golden Crisp." In the 1980s, Sugar Bear could turn into "Super Bear" upon eating it, and the jingle was appended, "it's got the crunch with punch". Sugar Bear's voice, provided by Gerry Matthews for forty years, was reminiscent of Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
or Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
.
Golden Crisp has undergone drastic changes in marketing over the years, including changing the name from Sugar Crisp to Super Sugar Crisp to Super Golden Crisp (during a time when many cereals dropped the word "Sugar" from their titles) to the current name. The focus of advertising shifted from targeting children to including parents, by downplaying the sweet taste (and associated sugar content).
In the late 1970s, there was a short-lived variation on the original Sugar Crisp, called Super Orange Crisp, which had orange-flavored O's in it.
The product is still sold as Sugar Crisp in some areas, mainly in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
market. In Canada, the box still displays Sugar Bear, whose jingle was always "Can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp." The brand name "Golden Crisp" is not used in Canadian markets.
Cultural references
- The theme song was referenced in The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Treehouse of Horror XTreehouse of Horror X"Treehouse of Horror X" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eleventh season, and the tenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on Halloween 1999. In "I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did", the...
" segment titled "I Know What You Diddly-Iddly Did" Homer sings to the tune of the Golden Crisp theme "I guess I forgot to put the fog lights in," just prior to Marge hitting a werewolf Flanders with the car.