For sale is an original 1950s Black & White Print on cardboard of Roy Rogers eating Wheaties. You can purchase modern photo reprints of this picture but this is one of the original cardboard posters that were distributed to grocery stores for promotional display. The framed cardboard print measures about 12″ x 15″. It is in great vintage condition with limited wear consistent with its age. A great hollywood and advertising collectible.
Roy Rogers was an American actor and singer born on November 5, 1911, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Known as the “King of the Cowboys” for starring in musical Westerns, he appealed to fans for his good-guy hero image. They also loved his sidekick palomino, Trigger, and dog, Bullet. Rogers appeared on TV, radio, records and film from the 1930s-1950s.
Wheaties was created in 1922, as a result of an accidental spill of a wheat bran mixture onto a hot stove. The heyday of Wheaties came in the 1930s and early 1940s, as testimonials peaked from nearly every sport imaginable. Wheaties maintained brand recognition mostly through its definitive association with sports, and its distinctive orange boxes. In 1939, 46 of the 51 players in baseball’s All-Star game endorsed the cereal. In the early 1950s, General Mills redirected its promotional strategy for Wheaties to focus on children. The strategy included sponsorship of The Lone Ranger and The Mickey Mouse Club, as well as the development if a mascot, a puppet character called Champy the Lion. Despite these efforts, sales of Wheaties declined dramatically. In 1958, General Mills decided to combat the decline in sales by returning Wheaties to its sporting roots. From the 1960s through the 1990s, Wheaties provided in-box promotions, but maintained a focus on athletic fitness and on-the-box sports figure promotions. Just ask Bruce, I mean
Kaitlyn Jenner.
