Fruity Marshmallow Rice Krispies
Why is it that breakfast cereal goes so well with nostalgia? Not a week goes by when I don’t get a pang of hunger and nostalgia for some bygone brand of cereal. Products that had a short run, made a big impact on me. Probably because they combined food, colorful characters, and amazing television advertising. The end result being something more than just a breakfast cereal. Such was the case with Fruity Marshmallow Rice Krispies.
Fruity Marshmallow Rice Krispies were a simple variation on original Rice Krispies. Instead of just the Krispies, they include fruit-flavored marshmallows in 4 flavors. Those flavors were orange, lemon, raspberry, and grape. Fruit cereal is a surprisingly polarizing topic. When discussing them in the past, I have gotten an earful from people. They believe that some fruit flavors do not belong in cereals. Grape is one of those flavors that have been mentioned. I can assure everyone who has not had a grape cereal. It is delicious.
Flavor aside, the thing that was memorable about Fruity Marshmallow Rice Krispies was the commercials. More specifically, the song in the commercials. It has an island vibe and catchy lyrics that stay with you well after the cereal faded from shelves. As soon as I heard it, I was taken back to the middle/late eighties. Sitting on the floor of my living room on a Saturday morning, eating a bowl of some other cereal and wishing it was whatever cereal was on the screen at the moment.
Watch the very catchy Fruity Marshmallow Rice Krispies Commercial
In addition to the standard commercial, Fruity Marshmallow Rice Krispies also ran a promo for a “joke machine” premium. The “machine” was just a card with some jokes, but it was memorable because a young Fred Savage was cast in the commercials.
Every time the commercial ran, I think someone in my family asked, “isn’t that the kid from the Wonder Years?”
Yes, it was, and he is gloriously decked out in very eighties stand-up comedy-type clothing. In that outfit, Fred was ready to open up for Paula Poundstone, and he was way too cool for school.
