Kellogg's Corn Pops marks 50th anniversary

One of Kellogg Co.'s (Battle Creek, MI) most enduring brands—Corn Pops—turns 50 in the year 2000. Fulfilling the promise on its 1950 packaging that it would "be available for you from now on at your favorite food store," the cereal currently ranks among the top 15 best-selling ready-to-eat cereal brands globally.

Corn Pops was the company's first post-World War II cereal and took 14 years to develop. In addition to a new corn-popping method, the cereal featured a new coating process and was taste tested by 1,000 families, including a "junior jury" of children under the age of 12, before making its debut in a West Coast launch.

During its half-century, the brand has been promoted by three animated characters—Big Yella, Poppy and Sugar Pops Pete—who have appeared on promotional items ranging from backpacks, yo-yos and pencil boxes to apparel, puzzles and games. Earlier in 2000, the company featured the cereal in a limited edition with the launch of 3 Point Pops, a basketball-inspired cereal.

The cereal is the latest addition to a number of Kellogg's products which have already passed the half-century milestone, including Kellogg's Corn Flakes (1906), Kellogg's All-Bran (1916), Kellogg's Complete Bran Flakes (1923), Kellogg's Rice Krispies (1927), Kellogg's Variety Pak (1938), and Kellogg's Raisin Bran (1942).

Edited by Scott Hegenbart