THE BEGINNING: Baseball and the Breakfast of Champions

      Wheaties' association with sports began in 1933, nine years after the cereal was first introduced. Wheaties' first venture into the sports world was sponsorship of play-by-play baseball broadcasts. That year, too, marked the creation of a slogan that became one of the most popular in advertising history: "Wheaties -- The Breakfast of Champions."

In 1933, General Mills contracted for Wheaties sponsorship of radio broadcasts of the Minneapolis Millers games on WCCO in Minneapolis. The broadcast deal included a large signboard at the ball park that Wheaties could use as an advertisement. The late Knox Reeves (Minneapolis-based advertising agency) was asked what should be printed on the signboard for his client. He took out a pad and pencil, it is said, sketched a Wheaties package, thought a minute and then printed "Wheaties -- The Breakfast of Champions."

Wheaties baseball broadcasts were immensely popular throughout the 1930s. From one station they expanded to 95, spreading to teams and cities throughout the country. Athlete testimonials were a key part of the "Breakfast of Champions" broadcast package. Some of the baseball stars endorsing the cereal through the years include: Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, Bill Dickey, Joe Cronin, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Eddie Stanky, Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, Stan Musial, Lou Boudreau, Phil Rizzuto, Jackie Robinson, Hal Newhouser, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Warren Spahn, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Johnny Bench. Forty-six of the 51 players selected for the 1939 Major League All-Star Game endorsed Wheaties at the time.

Two months after that 1939 All-Star Game, Wheaties sponsored the first televised commercial sports broadcast when, on August 29, NBC presented a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers for some 500 owners of television sets in New York City. The late Red Barber handled the commentary for the inaugural baseball broadcast.

Wheaties broadcasts also led to the film career of Ronald "Dutch" Reagan, a Des Moines, Iowa, sportscaster who made play-by -play re-creations of Chicago Cubs games uussssing telegraph reports. In 1937, Reagan was voted the most popular Wheaties announcer in the country and was rewarded with a trip to the Cubs' training camp in California. There he took a Warner Brothers screen test and subsequently became a popular film star. He later went into politics and became the 40th president of the United States.


TESTIMONIALS FROM ATHLETES OF ALL SPORTS

      Wheaties' popularity boomed during the 1930s, and the cereal became synonymous with all branches of the sports world. Testimonials by great athletes such as Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Johnny Weismuller made Americans as aware of a product as they had ever been. So close was the tie between the cereal and sports that former heavyweight champion Max Baer and baseball great Lou Gehrig both inadvertently announced that they were Wheaties eaters on radio programs sponsored by competing cereals. Other Wheaties endorsers included Red Grange, Bronco Nagurski, Otto Graham, Babe Didrikson, Patty Berg, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and George Mikan.

Testimonials came not only from well-known athletes but also from baseball managers, trainers, broadcasters, football coaches, stars of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circuses, raisers of champion livestock and grain, a "champion" railroad engineer, a horseman, a big game hunter, auto racing drivers, an airline pilot, a jockey, a female speedboat driver, an explorer, a national champion driver, a rodeo rider, and parachute jumpers.

An unsolicited testimonial came in 1950 when a 22-year-old Trenton, N.J., man hoisted a 2,700-pound elephant and his trainer on his back while 3,000 people watched. According to The Modern Millwheel, a General Mills employee publication, he was not paid for his statement that "I guess there's only one thing I eat every day--Wheaties."


A SWITCH FROM SPORTS

      The advent of television, together with increasing costs of radio play-by-play sponsorships (Wheaties was gradually forced to share these sponsorships with other non-competing products) were omens of things to come in the cereal's future. In the late 1940s, unable to sponsor play-by-play sports telecasts because of tremendous programming costs, Wheaties turned to athlete testimonials on commercials as a less expensive substitute. But the testimonial, which had been so effective on radio, lost a great deal of its appeal on television. With Wheaties sales holding their own in the 1950s, General Mills officials were generally uneasy about the product's future.

Finally, on the basis of consumer research and marketing statistics, the company made a crucial decision: abandon sports and go after the children's cereal market--a heavy per capita consumption group. In place of athletes, Wheaties began associating itself with the Lone Ranger and the Mickey Mouse Club. More youngsters began eating Wheaties but not enough to offset the decline in adult consumption. Sales dropped more than 10 percent in one year.


THE RETURN TO SPORTS AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

      During the mid 1950s, despite Wheaties' new association with the children's market, many still thought of the cereal as the "Breakfast of Champions." So in 1956, Wheaties returned to sports. Three major strategies were used. First, a spokesperson was sought to present the Wheaties story, sports and physical fitness. From more than 500 candidates, the nod went to two-time Olympic pole vaulting champion Bob Richards, a well-known crusader for fitness. Second, Wheaties went back into sports television, pioneering in several areas, including sponsorship of pre- and post-game shows.

Third, the Wheaties Sports Federation was established. This organization, with Richards as director, worked closely with such groups as the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce and the President's Council on Youth Fitness to promote sports and athletic participation throughout the country. The federation produced a large number of instructional and educational films, that were made available free to the public. It engaged in direct financial support of such activities as Olympic educational programs and the Jaycee Junior Champ track and field competition. Over the years, Wheaties' philosophy has been to promote physically fit individuals rather than simply appealing to sports fans. Sports such as swimming, skiing, tennis and golf have been prominent on packages. Wheaties believed, in fact, believes, that interest in physical fitness continues to be important.


WHEATIES CELEBRITY ATHLETES

      Wheaties has recognized a number of amateur and professional athletes on the famous orange cereal package. Yet, only ten celebrity athletes have endorsed the cereal, appearing nationally on the front of Wheaties packages.




• Bob Richards served as product spokesman from 1958 until 1970.
• Beginning in 1977, Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner took over as director of the
  Wheaties Sports Federation, a position he held until 1979.
• Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton appeared on the package in 1984 until 1986.
• Baseball's all-time base hits holder Pete Rose appeared on the package in 1985 and in 1986.
• Football legend Walter Payton appeared on the package in 1986 until 1988.
• Tennis superstar Chris Evert graced the package in 1987.
• Michael Jordan has been associated with Wheaties since 1988. Jordan exemplifies the long-
  standing Wheaties champion athlete and role model.
• Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, appeared on-package in connection with a
  football game that was played in 1991.
• Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins quarterback, was honored in 1995 for his career achievements.
• Cal Ripkin, Baltimore Oriole shortstop, was honored in 1995 for playing in a record 2,131
  consecutive games.



WHEATIES LIMITED EDITIONS

      Beginning in the '80s, Wheaties has honored several superstars and national champion teams on regionally marketed packages. Teams honored with limited edition Wheaties packages have been:

Minnesota Twins in 1987 & 1991                             Washington Redskins in 1988 & 1992
Los Angeles Lakers in 1988                                     Detroit Pistons in 1989
Cincinnati Reds in 1990                                           New York Giants in 1991
Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 & 1992                       Chicago Bulls in 1991, 1992, 1993 & 1996
Dallas Cowboys in 1993, 1994 & 1995                     San Francisco 49ers in 1995
Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996                                     Green Bay Packers (Super Bow) in 1997
New England Patriots (AFC champs) in 1997

Wheaties commemorated the Boston Garden by creating a package featuring six Boston Celtics legends in 1995.


Later in 1995, the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Nebraska
Cornhuskers, World Series Champion Atlanta Braves and American League Champion Cleveland Indians were
featured on limited-edition packages.


In 1996, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were again honored as were the Northwestern Wildcats. In 1996, a package honoring the 100 running of the Boston Marathon and featuring runners Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson
was distributed in the Northeast.


Also in 1996, a nationally distributed package honored the 75th anniversary of Negro Leagues professional baseball.

A 1997 package featured Jackie Robinson and honored the 50th anniversary of his major league signing.

A special NFL All-Pro series was distributed nationally in the fall of 1996. The 3-package series featured running backs (Thurman Thomas, Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen), quarterbacks (John Elway, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman), and wide receivers (Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Tim Brown).

A special series of five Super Bowl Replays featuring Joe Namath, Marcus Allen, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, and Steve Young was released in honor of the 31st Super Bowl (1997). The package featured motion cards of actual game scenes.

Individuals featured on packages have been:

Chicago Bears' running back Walter Payton in 1988
Seattle Seahawk's wide receiver Steve Largent in 1988
Cincinnati Reds' catcher Johnny Bench in 1989
Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Jim Palmer in 1990
Detroit Lions' running back Barry Sanders in 1992
Boston Celtics' forward Larry Bird
Portland Trail Blazers' guard Clyde Drexler
Denver Broncos' quarterback John Elway in 1993
San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver Jerry Rice in 1994
PGA golfer Peter Jacobsen
Minnesota Twins' Kirby Puckett in 1996.

A special Olympic series of five packages honored Gold Medalists from the 1996 Olympic Summer Games. These national packages featured Michael Johnson, 200 and 400-meter runs; Tom Dolan, 400-meter individual medley, swimming; Amy Van Dyken, 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 400-meter freestyle relay, swimming; Dan O'Brien, decathalon; and the U.S. women's gymnastics team, team all-around competition.




WHEATIES HONOR ROLL

Hank Aaron
Troy Aikman
Marcus Allen
Sparky Anderson
Jack Armstrong
Red Auerbach
Max Baer
Johnny Bench
Joan Benoit Samuelson
Patty Berg
Yogi Berra
Bernie Bierman
Larry Bird
Lou Boudreau
Tim Brown
Roy Campanella
Ron Cey
Bob Cousy
Bob Davies
Darryl Dawkins
Ned Day
Dizzy Dean
Jack Dempsey
Leslie Deniz
Joe DiMaggio
Babe Didrikson
Charlie Diehl
Tom Dolan
Clyde Drexler
John Elway
Boomer Esiason
Chris Evert
Bob Feller
Jimmie Foxx
Lou Gehrig
Otto Graham
Red Grange
Hank Greenberg
Ken Griffey (HFW)
Lefty Grove
Joe Hauser
John Havlicek
Doug Heir
Ben Hogan
Carl Hubbell
Peter Jacobsen
Bruce Jenner
K.C. Jones
Michael Johnson
Michael Jordan
Jim Kelly
Ralph Kiner
Steve Largent
Ernie Lombardi
Johnny Lujack
Mickey Mantle
Dan Marino
Willie Mays
Mary T. Meagher
George Mikan
Billy Mills
Joe Montana
George Murray
Stan Musial
Joe Namath
Bronco Nagurski
Cindy Nelson
Hal Newhouser
Dan O'Brien
Mel Ott
Jim Palmer
Walter Payton
Kirby Puckett
Maria Rasputin
Ronald Reagan
Andre Reed
Pee Wee Reese
Mary Lou Retton
Jerry Rice
Bob Richards
Cal Ripken
Phil Rizzuto
Jackie Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Bill Rodgers
Pete Rose
Al Rosen
Babe Ruth
Barry Sanders
Deion Sanders (HFW)
Sam Snead
Warren Spahn
Chris Spielman
Eddie Stanky
Roger Staubach
Shirley Temple
Thurman Thomas
Tom Weiskopf
Johnny Weismuller
Ed White
Jo Jo White
Ted Williams
Esther Williams
Amy Van Dyken
Donna de Varona
Steve Young (CWR)

WHEATIES OLYMPIC CONNECTION


"The Breakfast of Champions" is a cereal that has been associated with the world of sports since 1933. Through the years, a number of athletes have been associated with Wheaties--on the package, in commercial testimonials and in radio endorsements. Of these athletes, several are famous Olympians.

To top off the list, of course, there's "Mr. Wheaties," Bob Richards, two-time Olympic pole-vaulting champion who served as the product's spokesman for 13 years. Richards represented Wheaties from 1958 until 1970 in print and broadcast advertising, on package covers, and in his capacity as director of the newly formed Wheaties Sports Federation.

Back in the 1930s, it was gold-medal-winning swimmer Johnny Weismuller, who appeared in advertisements printed in such publications as The Saturday Evening Post.

      Billy Mills' victory in the 10,000-meter run was the biggest upset of the 1964 Olympics. In 1966, the event was chronicled on Wheaties packages nationwide.

One year later, swimmer Donna de Varona was featured on the package. At 13, she was the youngest swimmer ever to make the Olympic team. That was in 1960, and by 1964, she had improved enough to win two gold medals in the 18th Olympiad.

Bruce Jenner won the gold in the decathlon event at Montreal in 1976, and the following year became product spokesman, acted as director of the Wheaties Sports Federation, and appeared on package covers.

After becoming the first American to win the all-around gold medal and the most medals of any athlete at the Los Angeles games in 1984, the country saw Mary Lou Retton on millions of packages across the country. Retton became the third athlete and the first woman to become product spokesperson, which continued until 1986.

Mary T. Meagher was a member of the 1980 Honorary Olympic team and butterfly swimmer and gold medalist in the 1984 Olympics. Leslie Deniz, 1984 silver medalist discus thrower, was the first American woman to win this event in 52 years. Both were chosen from among 6,400 amateur athletes as winners in a "Search for Champions" contest in 1986, and appeared on millions of packages nationwide.

Champion breast stroker and member of the 1984 Olympic team at age 18, Kim Rhodenbaugh also was a "Search for Champions II" winner. Kim retired from swimming competition in 1987 after being captain of the U.S. team and winning a gold medal at the World University Games. She appeared on Wheaties packages in 1989.

Doug Heir won three gold medals and one silver in the 1984 World Olympic Wheelchair Games. He is a role model in his community. With a career in negligence law and advocacy for the disabled, Heir provides legal counsel to the poor, disabled and senior citizens. Also a "Search for Champions II" winner, he appeared on packages in 1986.

      In 1988, basketball legend Michael Jordan began his association with Wheaties that continues to the present day, becoming the seventh celebrity athlete to appear on the front of the famous orange package. Jordan played on two gold medal Olympic basketball teams, in 1984 and 1992.

      Also playing on the 1992 Olympic basketball "Dream Team" were Boston Celtics' forward Larry Bird and Portland Trailblazers' guard Clyde Drexler. Both appeared on commemorative edition packages in 1993 for their many accomplishments on and off the court.

Michigan Special Olympic champions Jeremy Farnan, Henry McGee and Sherry Galloway were selected as the Inspirational Athletes of the Year in 1992, 1993 and 1994, respectively. Jeremy won two silvers and one bronze in powerlifting competition and appeared on the package in 1993. Henry won a gold medal in the 400-meter dash and was on the package in 1994. Sherry won a gold medal in the standing long jump event and was on the package in 1995. All appeared on limited edition packages available in the Michigan area.

A special Olympic series of five packages honored Gold Medalists from the 1996 Olympic Summer Games. These national packages featured Michael Johnson, 200 and 400-meter runs; Tom Dolan, 400-meter individual medley, swimming; Amy Van Dyken, 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 400-meter freestyle relay, swimming; Dan O'Brien, decathalon; and the U.S. women's gymnastics team, team all-around competition.



WHEATIES OLYMPIC CONNECTION FACT SHEET