The History of Ghostbusters Cereal

A journey from screen to cereal bowl.

In early 1986, over a year after the movie Ghostbusters had dominated the box office, my family went to our local ShopRite for our monthly grocery shopping. Like most kids, I loved the cereal aisle. It was the one place that my mom would often let me make a random buying choice. Yet this choice was rarely random. I tended to stick with my favorites time and again, but not this time. This time I spotted a brand-new cereal on the shelf with a familiar name that I didn’t expect to be on a cereal, Ghostbusters.

It was a complete surprise. Ghostbusters, while beloved, was a while ago and The Real Ghostbusters was 5 months away and not even on my radar. But the people behind the series knew it was coming that autumn and, more importantly, the company that made this cereal, Ralston, did too.

Ralston and Cereal

Ralston Purina Company, originally known as Ralston, had a significant history in the cereal industry. Founded in the late 19th century, Ralston started as a company focused on health and wellness through nutrition, closely tied to the principles of the Ralstonism movement (Do read about it). Among many things, the movement emphasized whole grains and healthy living, which were reflected in the company's early product offerings.

Over the years, Ralston became well-known for its range of breakfast cereals. The company's portfolio included popular cereals such as Chex, Cookie Crisp, and many other cereals and food products. The cereals became breakfast staples in many households across the United States and beyond, showcasing Ralston's ability to innovate and adapt to consumer tastes and preferences.

In the 20th century, Ralston expanded its business beyond cereals. It ventured into pet food, animal feeds, and other food products, diversifying its operations and leveraging its expertise in nutrition and food processing. This led to the formation of Ralston Purina, which became a major player in both the human and pet food industries.

The 1980s and 1990s saw further changes for Ralston, including corporate restructuring and strategic shifts to focus on its core businesses. The company eventually sold its cereal operations to General Mills in the late 1990s, which allowed Ralston to concentrate on their pet food and animal feed businesses. This sale marked the end of Ralston's direct involvement in the cereal industry, but its legacy and impact on breakfast tables and food culture continue to be felt.

The Original Release of Ghostbusters Cereal

Around April 1986, Ghostbusters cereal hit store shelves. While late to the party, it capitalized ingeniously on the blockbuster success of the Ghostbusters film and the upcoming animated series. For fans of the nascent franchise, it introduced a breakfast experience that allowed us to start our day with a reminder of a movie we loved. But this cereal wasn't just another sugary start to the day; it was an invitation to join the ranks of the ghost-chasing heroes in animated form, right at your breakfast table.

Distinctively packaged with vivid, eye-catching artwork that echoed the film's ghost-hunting theme, the boxes were almost collectible items in their own right (just check eBay). The front of the box depicted the iconic Ghostbusters logo, with Slimer and other ghostly entities making appearances, creating a visual appeal that grabbed attention from kids like me.

The cereal itself was a mix of fruit-flavored crunchy pieces and marshmallows, the latter shaped like ghosts, the Ghostbusters' logo, and other motifs directly lifted from the film's universe. This combination of flavors and fun shapes worked aesthetically and tasted great. The cereal crunch level was decent. Marshmallow cereals are a mixed bag when you add them to milk, but they did a decent job putting together the crunch cereal bits.

Over time, the cereal would change, especially with the release of The Real Ghostbusters cartoon. The characters of the show would begin to be featured on the box and in the premiums offered. The cereal would become a mirror of the franchise. As Slimer became the featured character in the Nineties, he would become displayed more prominently until finally the cereal was renamed, Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters cereal.

During the Real Ghostbusters phase of the cereal, Ralston offered very cool hologram cover boxes. At the time, I collected these and cut them out and hung them on my bedroom wall. Sadly, I didn’t hold onto them, but you can find them online if you are interested in seeing them. Photos don’t really do the holograms justice.

The Ghostbusters film sequel caused a brief renaming of the cereal to Ghostbuster II cereal. This didn’t last long, and it is probably remembered for the flexidisc record premium contest they ran as cereal premium.

As the nineties marched forward, the popularity of the show and the franchise began to wane. While the focus on Slimer might have prolonged the show’s life, it was on life support. By late 1991, mentions of the cereal began to disappear and by 1992, it is no longer showing up in supermarket advertising.

When Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit theaters, Ghostbusters cereal was revived again, making a lot of fans happy. Older fans had been hoping for years to get to have the cereal again, while younger fans would get to try it for the first time. The cereal was fairly well-received and as the franchise continues its revival, I think you can expect to see it again on store shelves.

Ghostbusters Cereal Commercial

Perhaps most memorable were the commercials that marketed Ghostbusters cereal. These ads would be set against the famous Ray Parker Jr. song. Some were purely animated, while others had live-action elements. Just like the cereal, they would slowly morph from being generally about the Ghostbusters to become about The Real Ghostbusters, and eventually mostly focused on Slimer.

Here is an original ad:

Here is an ad from after The Real Ghostbusters started being broadcast.

That day in 1986, when Ghostbusters cereal first caught my eye in the cereal aisle, it wasn't just about finding a new favorite breakfast. It was a small, yet profound, example of how our favorite stories from movies and TV can pop up in the most unexpected places, like our morning meal.

Ralston, by turning a popular movie into a cereal, reinforced just how normal it had become to mix entertainment with everyday life. As the Ghostbusters franchise grew and changed, so did the cereal, reflecting the shifts in the story and its characters. The cereal's disappearance and eventual return years later with Ghostbusters Afterlife reminds us of the lasting impact these stories have. They’re not just confined to the screen; they become part of our daily routines, turning something as simple as breakfast into a connection to a franchise we love.