Happy Birthday Grape Nuts!

When I went to purchase my favorite cereal, Post's Grape-Nuts, I was pleasantly surprised with a vintage box and a little history of my morning staple. Grape-Nuts is celebrating its 112th birthday this year and is still in business!

Here are some fun facts about this crunchy treat:

-- It hit the shelves in 1897 and was one of the first ready-to-eat cereals on the market. Made from neither from grapes nor nuts, it got its name from the "grape sugar" Mr. Post believed was formed from the baking process and it's "nutty" taste.

-- Starting around 1920, Grape-Nuts became popular with explorers and even was included in World War II ration kits! It's ideal for travelers because it's high in nutrition, resistant to spoilage, and lightweight. Edmund Hillary took Grape-Nuts with him for energy when he traveled to the top of Mount Everest!

-- Grape-Nuts has gone through a variety of slogans, including but not limited to:

1910s-1930s: "There's A Reason"

"Mental Dullness usually comes from imperfectly nourished brains.

The man who thinks clearly and acts promptly wins money and position... The regular use of this world-famed food makes 'clear thinking' easy."

1950s: "For Goodness Sake, Get Post Grape-Nuts"

1950s: "Look For The Post Mark... For Happy Eating!"

Late 1960s: "Fills You Up, Not Out"

"Oh no, Mrs. Burke! I thought you were Dale!"

Late 1970s-1980s: "Great Hot Taste From An Unexpected Place"

1980s: "You Know When You Have Something Good"

Late 1980s: "Helps Keep You Going Strong All Morning Long"

-- Grape-Nuts is one of the only cereals that advertises to men. Typically cereals are shown being eaten by children with their mothers in commercials, but Grape-Nuts, as far as cereals go, is pretty popular with men (and me!).

-- Grape-Nuts can be used in a variety of desserts: sprinkle on ice cream, mix them with granola, or use them in delicious candied apples! Visit the Post website for lots of recipes!

Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to look at my daily bowl of Grape-Nuts a little differently tomorrow morning. :)

Life Magazine ad from 1948. har har!

(Pictures via Vintage123, Flickr, and the Gallery of Graphic Design)

Smart Speedbumps

Cool new technology for people who respect speed limits and hate speed bumps:

Concerns over the environment — and the utter annoyance of having to brake and accelerate frequently — have prompted one Mexican state government to embrace a "smart" speed bump that could make driving smoother, without sacrificing safety.

The device, being developed by Mexico-based Decano Industries, automatically lowers into the ground when drivers go the speed limit or slower. Drive too fast, and the bump stays up.

"With this speed bump, people will feel rewarded for obeying the law," says Carlos Cano, the company's president.

Brilliant! I can't wait for them to make their way into the States!

(for more info & my source, click here)

FreeCreditReport.com Actor Dubbed?

I heard a rumor that the guy who sings the catchy tunes on the FreeCreditReport.com commercials doesn't actually sing the songs. In fact, the rumor goes so far to say that the guy barely even speaks English in real life!

However, the actor himself, Eric Violette, and his website say that he's had all sorts of acting and singing training. Here's who he is really, according to his homepage:

I know you guys think I live in my in-laws basement and drive a sub-compact, but really I'm just an actor/musician who got a lucky break.

But this part of his bio leaves me wondering if the rumor is true:

I was born in 1981 in a small town in Canada. In fact I still live near Montreal. And yes, I speak French but I'm fluent in English too. I attended the National Theatre School of Canada for my training.

One quick internet search later, I found this information from USA Today:

Eric Violette is the lead "singer" in three commercials... Violette and his buddies do songs about how it has affected their lives. Violette, a French Canadian, sings and plays guitar in real life and has a following on the Web. Because he speaks little English, however, he lip-syncs the song in the ad, which is performed by a studio artist. The songs were written by David Muhlenfeld. The "band" in the ads, by The Martin Agency, is a group of actors. The group of commercials, which began airing in October, are part of the third national ad campaign for FreeCreditReport.com, which was launched in 1999 by credit-rating giant Experian.

So there you go! Rumor confirmed (except the part about speaking English, he seems to be bilingual)! Hope I didn't destroy any well-loved illusions of yours!

How To Eat A Banana Like A Monkey

I haven't personally tried it yet, but it looks very intriguing!

Crayola Corrections

Cool Crayola fact from a Core77 Design Magazine review of the writings of Rachel Berger:

Only three times in its hundred-year history has the Crayola company changed the name of a crayon. Prussian Blue became Midnight Blue in 1958 and Indian Red was renamed Chestnut in 1999, both in response to requests from educators. In 1962, the company voluntarily changed Flesh to Peach, partially in response to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

Thank you, Crayola, for recognizing and changing your non-politically-correct ways!

For more interesting tidbits and musings from the Yale Art School student, click here.