Were the cereal boxes of yesterday a paradigm of modernist design? Is a cereal box nothing more than a box to hold cereal? Why is sugar coated grain marketed as "breakfast" anyway? Does any of this really even matter?

Here are some fun comparisons of old cereal boxes with their modern counterparts. Look at them. Or don't. I don't care.

Toucan Sam seems to have been dipping into Carmen Miranda's wardrobe.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hgrant/15-examp ... anged-over

That apple jacks box is creepy

Both the old and the new Apple Jacks characters are creepy! But as I recall I liked that stuff as a child even if it ripped the roof of your mouth up a bit.

Love the 1950s Trix box. Everything about the design is good, even the General Mills logotype. Interesting how the rabbit looked blissful then, manic now. A reflection of how the commercialization of childhood has become hyperactive while lots of kids are being diagnosed and medicated as hyperactive, bipolar, and having attention deficit disorders for ... being kids.

To its credit the contemporary Corn Flakes box is classic without being contrivedly retro. No drop shadows, no 3D effects or computer-y illustration. Very nice contrast to the mostly overly-busy other current designs.

Cool article, thanks for posting.

Agreed - that one is the only nice looking modern box of the bunch.

The biggest differance for me was how all the old boxes had fun little toys or some crap in there. Today there's not much in the boxes

I used to have a very large cereal box collection but sold everything 2 years ago when I moved. The imagery on the old ones was so amazing. New ones feel so dumbed down and uninteresting.
I sold allot of my boxes to one guy whos posted everything on Flickr. Most of the rarer stuff was spread out to lots of different collectors. My Dad also sold him all of his candy wrapper collection.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonliebigstuff/sets/72157617553330512/
Cereal boxes are in another set here http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonliebigstuff/sets/72157600049787140/

SO so miss the collection but vowed I wouldnt collect anything anymore that I couldnt see or use everyday.

Yeah were are all of the awesome cereal toys at. My favorite toy from the 80's was the sticky shit you threw at the wall and it "climbed" down. I think I got an octopus from a box of fruit loops.


Also I hate the new digital monster cereals, and how they have become a Halloween novelty instead of something I can buy year round

Arrgghh I feel a little old. I was around for the Monster Cereal boxes shown at least. Yeah cereal boxes were much better back in the day. Much like movies, the executives forget that sometimes less is more. Once in awhile Target has retro boxes for sale of all different kinds of cereal.