Do you remember Sir Grapefellow Cereal?
Growing up with older siblings had its perks, but it could also lead to some envy, especially when they bragged about products I never got to try. Both my sisters knew how much I loved breakfast cereals, and they would tease me with tales of cereals I could only dream of tasting. Among them, one cereal stood out in particular - Sir Grapefellow.
Sir Grapefellow was a short-lived creation by General Mills back in 1972. Its mascot was a dashing World War I era pilot, and the cereal itself was a delightful grape-flavored oat cereal, complete with grape marshmallows. What intrigued me even more was that Sir Grapefellow had a nemesis named Baron von Redberry, who had his own cereal. While I'm sure Redberry would have been enjoyable, it was the grape-flavored cereal that captured my imagination.
Pip, pip, and all that, Sir Grapefellow here to introduce my new grape-flavored cereal with sweet Starbits. It’s fortified with 8 vitamins and iron, too! Ummmmm. Simply smashing.
-Sir Grapefellow
When it first hit the market, they offered a bunch of cool premiums both inside the boxes and as giveaways. Some lucky kids could find a balloon-powered air car toy right in the box, which sounds like so much fun! Additionally, there were patches you could collect as well.
Each box of this enchanting cereal came in an 8-ounce package and cost around 39 cents in 1972 - a pretty good deal for such a delightful treat.
I remember stumbling upon the commercials for Sir Grapefellow a few years ago, and they only intensified my desire to try it. The ads played up the rivalry between the characters, Sir Grapefellow and Baron von Redberry, in a humorous and exaggerated manner. Sir Grapefellow, being English, exuded a charming sophistication, while Baron von Redberry, who was meant to be German, had his own unique flair.
In addition to the air car toy that came in the box, there was another toy offer that year - two balsa wood gliders featuring these fruit-flavored aviators in their biplanes. I've searched online and at flea markets in hopes of finding one of these rare gliders, but no luck so far. I can only imagine that the kids who got their hands on them probably played with them so much that they quickly became fragile balsa wood wrecks.
To further entice kids, they ran a coupon in newspapers, offering 10 cents off a box of Sir Grapefellow cereal. Attached to that coupon was an exciting offer for four coloring posters, each measuring 18" x 24". For just 25 cents and three box bottoms, kids could get their hands on these posters, complete with a box of 16 Crayola crayons to bring them to life.
As I look back on those cherished cereals and the amazing offers that accompanied them, I can't help but appreciate the fun and creativity that went into these marketing campaigns. Although Sir Grapefellow may be long gone, the memories of these delightful promotions still bring a smile to my face. And who knows, maybe one day I'll stumble upon that elusive toy glider and complete my nostalgic collection!
