Sugar Puffs

Sugar Puffs is a breakfast cereal made from wheat and glazed in honey and brown sugar that is on sale in the United Kingdom. For many years it was made by the Quaker Oats Company but in 2006 it was sold to Big Bear t/a Honey Monster Foods.

Sugar Puffs was first launched in 1957 with Jeremy the Bear. The Honey Monster campaign in the 1970s was very successful. Honey Monster went on to lead many campaigns including appearances with Boyzone and ex-Newcastle United footballer Kevin Keegan, with actor Roman Stefanski playing the Honey Monster.

In 2006, the Honey Monster brand was acquired by Big Bear Ltd, owners of Fox's Confectionery, based in Leicester. The products under the Honey Monster title continue to be manufactured at the site in Southall, Middlesex.

Advertising

Sugar Puffs posters can clearly be seen in the 1966 film "Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD". They helped to finance the film, and in return held a giveaway contest in which the grand prize was a Dalek prop made for the film.

The Honey Monster was first seen on TV in 1976 in an advertisement created by John Webster of the advertising agency BMP.Mark Tungate, "Adland: A Global History of Advertising", Kogan Page Publishers, London, 2007, p.92.] The ad focused around a nutritional message which was illustrated by a "mother" (played by Henry McGee) and "child" (the Honey Monster) relationship. The mother was responsible for what the child was eating. The child wanted honey and would cry "Tell them about the honey, mummy!".

Later TV advertising has included children turning into Honey Monsters, with the slogan "You'll go monster mad for the honey" and the Honey Monster playing football.

In August 2008 the Honey Monster featured in a charity video and single by the group Samanda, called "Honey Love".

The Mighty Boosh controversy

In March 2008, a new campaign was launched with a television advert. The spot features Honey Monster and his housemate sitting at their breakfast table, 'crimping' about Sugar Puffs. Finishing with the strap line ‘Feed the fun’. The advert was widely slated on the internet for being similar to the point of a being a complete rip-off of a Mighty Boosh 'crimp' (a half-spoken, half-sung stream of consciousness duet).

In their 2008-2009 Stage show, the Mighty Boosh struck back at the Honey Monster, decapitating him with a Jean Claude Jacquettie hairdryer on level 5. Tony Harrison later rapes the Honey Monster's head whilst screaming "Take it! Take it like you take other people's ideas, you plagaristic c*nt!"

Notes

External links

* [http://www.honeymonster.co.uk/ Honey Monster's Official web site]
* [http://www.hmfoods.co.uk/ Honey Monster Foods website]
* [http://www.hivessavelives.com/ Hives Save Lives website]
* [http://www.talkingretail.com/blogs/9050/Honey-Monster-vs-The-Mighty-Bo.ehtml/ talkingretail.com on Sugar Puffs vs The Mighty Boosh]
* [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/a91889/mighty-boosh-pair-furious-with-sugar-puffs.html/ Digital Spy reports the Mighty Boosh's reaction to the Sugar Puffs ad]
* [http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/794409/Sugar-Puffs-ad-accused-ripping-off-Mighty-Boosh/ Brand Republic reports on the Mighty Boosh-style Sugar Puffs ad, including compare and contrast links from youtube]
* [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article934592.ece/ The Sun newspaper reports on the controversy]