The Cereal Bowl.

The Best of the Best?

Recently when talking to my friend I was pulled into my biggest debate of the year...Who is the Best Cereal Box Mascot. My friend's position of Cereal Mascot of Choice seems to be a constantly changing affair. The slightest change in box presentation or promotion can knock a defending champion off it's pedestal. Currently, however, the position goes to the Raisin Bran Sun. Well to me this might just be the underdog story to watch. The sun has got a low profile, it doesn't have any charming features, it's not on a quest. In order to refute the Sun's placement atop the cereal mascot leaderboard I have decided to create the Cereal Mascot Scoring System (CMSS) in order to determine who will win The Cereal Bowl. A cereal dynasty must consistently be marked high in the following categories.

1. Cuteness/Lovability (50)

The most important category, a mascot must pull you to the box and make you think "This is the animal/machine/celestial object that I want waking me up every morning." This is why the Alpha Bits Computer will never climb to the top. Who the heck wants an 80's computer welcome the day in with them.

2. Newness (20)

As good as it is to have an amazing lovability score, a cereal mascot can't just sit on it's cuteness! Innovation is how mascots can climb to the top. However, innovation can also cause a fall from grace. Trix ended an amazing run by switching from fruit to planets. Nobody wants to eat a planet, unless that person is Galactus.

3. Story (30)

Again, it's important that a mascot has something other than cuteness. A good story is a way to differentiate, to show you're different from the other mascots that are living off the past. Often a good cereal mascot is involved in an epic struggle for protect/eat their cereal. Why would the Lucky Charms Leprechaun always try to stop those darn kids from eating his cereal if it wasn't so good he wanted it all for himself. Meanwhile, the Trix rabbit is the modern tragic tale, constantly striving to eat something he is destined to never have in his bowl.

Next week, I will call together the judges to find the first winner of the Cereal Bowl, will it be the underdog Raisin Bran Sun? Will Toucan Sam find some momentum down the stretch? Only time will tell.