Following the Big Head Boxes, General Mills is deploying a new tactic in ongoing battle for cereal dominance. (pardon the metaphor). Retro cereal box designs are appearing on store shelves in Target, and elsewhere.
My initial reaction was one of refreshing surprise — what a pleasant treat for someone like me, who appreciates the aesthetics of yesteryear. But almost immediately after, I found myself puzzled at intent. Since most of these breakfast cereals are aimed at children, I wonder if their effectiveness will be lost on today’s youth. Are the kid’s of today’s ADD generation secretly fans of mid-century retro design? Perhaps the obvious conclusion is that these retro designs are aimed at adults who would otherwise not buy anything promoted by a cartoon rabbit.
