Honeycomb (cereal)

Bowl of Honeycomb cereal

Honeycomb is a breakfast cereal that has been made since 1965 by Post Cereals. It consists of honey-flavored corn cereal bits in a honeycomb shape. It is wheat free.

Versions

At the end of 2006, Post changed the formula for this popular brand of cereal in order to improve its health content. This change, although tested by Post beforehand to positive reviews, had received mainly negative reviews from consumers.

Following this public response, in March 2007, Mullsberry (then-owner of Post Cereals^[1]) introduced a new "Improved Taste" version of the cereal, that, the company claimed, would improve "the cereal's taste, texture and appearance while incorporating key nutritional benefits to the product." This was set forth in a letter that was sent to many of the consumers who had complained to Kraft during the early months of 2007. The letter accompanied, in many instances, a complimentary box of the newly reworked Honeycomb. The new "Improved Taste" version of the cereal still was not as good as the original version to most people that grew up with it.

Three additional variations have also been created, Strawberry Blasted Honeycomb, which has added strawberry flavoring and Chocolate Honeycomb which add a chocolate flavoring to the pieces. A new variety has been added called Cinna-Graham Honeycomb which adds a cinnamon flavor to the cereal.

Ingredients

As per the product's ingredient list, it is made of:

corn flour and bran blend (corn flour, whole grain corn flour, corn bran), sugar, whole grain oat flour, honey, salt, yellow 5, BHT added to packaging material to preserve product freshness.

Vitamins & minerals: niacinamide (B vitamin), reduced iron, zinc oxide (source of zinc), vitamin B₆, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin (Vitamin B₂), thiamin mononitrate (Vitamin B₁), folic acid (B vitamin), Vitamin B₁₂, Vitamin D

Recently, Bran Blend, defined as whole grain corn flour and corn bran, has been added to the ingredient list. This has tripled the fiber content (from originally 1g to 3g per serving) and put the cereal in Kraft's Sensible Solution program. Aficionados of Honeycomb cereal^[who?] tasted the difference. Post registered many calls of complaints from Honeycomb fans after the change.^{[citation needed]}

Advertising and marketing

Originally, the animated Honeycomb Kid (a cowboy) was the cereal's mascot. The cereal's jingle was borrowed from the song "Honeycomb", a 1957 hit for Jimmie Rodgers.

Honeycomb Hideout

During the 1970s and '80s, television commercials featured a string of visitors to a children's clubhouse called the Honeycomb Hideout. The visitor would arrive, initially hostile, and exclaim a need for a "big" taste. The kids in the clubhouse would introduce the visitor to the cereal, winning over the visitor, examining the size of the cereal bits with a tape measure and singing the jingle:

Honeycomb's big...yeah yeah yeah!

It's not small...no no no!

Honeycomb's got...a big big bite!

Big big (taste/crunch) in a big big bite!"

During the 1980s, the cereal offered the Honeycomb Hideout Club for children, who received badges, membership cards and the like.

Crazy Craving

In 1995, another mascot, Crazy Craving, was introduced. It is a wild-haired, rodentlike cartoon character who rabidly craves Honeycomb cereal and whom children in the commercials transform into. It's catch-phrase was "Me Want Honeycomb". Many people^[who?] state that the Crazy Craving slightly resembled Crash Bandicoot.

Bernard, the bee boy

A more recent commercial introduces Bernard, a boy who was raised by bees. He is found and attempted to be socialized. Although he had clearly been a feral child, he apparently cannot argue the fact that he is a 'bee' not a 'boy,' and he enjoys honeycombs. In a later commercial, a man gives a safari-like tour for the bee boy, luring him with honeycombs. In a commercial released in 2010, a second bee boy was introduced played by Canadian actor Joel Cox.

Notes

1. ^ "Ralcorp Announces Completion of Post Cereals Merger". Ralcorp Holdings, Inc.. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=102251&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1182967&highlight=. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 

External links

• Official website
  • Nutritional Information for Honeycomb cereal
• Honeycomb at Cereal.com; includes Honeycomb snack recipes
• History and description of Honeycomb cereal and its marketing identity - includes photos and a recollection of the Honeycomb Hideout