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Article About Croonchy Stars
The following is from a USA Today article by Stuart Elliott. I'm not sure on the exact date, but the ad below the article mentions the sixth anniversary of USA Today (1988?). The article is accompanied by a picture of the box (sorry there's no scan).
Muppet magic chasing cereal sales
NEW YORK - Jim Henson's latest creation isn't a Muppet -- it's a cereal for kids. But some wish he wouldn't have allowed Sesame Street and Madison Avenue to intersect on this one.
The Muppets mastermind came up with the cereal idea as the Muppets' first licensed USA food product. He wanted to call it Stoopid Flakes. Post Cereals liked the idea, but will call it Croonchy Stars.
The pitch: The cereal was cooked up by the bumbling Swedish Chef in the "Muppet Test Kitchens." The Chef stars in TV spots -- directed by Henson -- from Grey Advertising. They debut Sept. 5.
Post, owned by Phillip Morris Cos., is hoping Muppet magic will spur cereal sales: It's third in cereal market share, behind Kellogg Co. and General Mills.
But, says Peggy Charren of the watchdog group Action for Children's Television, "It's sort of sad that even something the quality of the Muppets has to push a product. Jim Henson is one of our favorite people."
The cereal is pre-sweetened, though Post says it has less sugar than other such cereals. On the box, amid jokes, puns and games, Croonchies are called "wholesome" and "nutritious."
Those responsible for Croonchy Stars say it's being handled carefully.
"If there was the slightest hint of anything unhealthy, we'd have said no," says Michael Frith of Jim Henson Productions. The goal: "Make breakfast a delight rather than a drag."
To sell a kids' cereal, "You don't (use) the lecture approach," says Post's David Hurwitt. "You market it in a way they'll find fun."
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Hybrid Mode
