In 1974, there was no shortage of cereals available in the typical North American supermarket. Dozens of varieties filled the shelves, from corn to wheat to rice, flakes to O's to shapes, sweetened or unsweetened, and flavors from strawberry to chocolate to blueberry and everything in between. There were even varieties that were specially formulated to meet most if not all of an individual's daily requirements for many vitamins and minerals, and one of those was King Vitaman.
King Vitaman had been introduced in 1968 as a healthier alternative to the higher-sugar cereal brands commonly favored by children. In addition to its somewhat lower sugar content, each serving provided 100% of the recommended daily allowance for the key vitamins and iron. However, being a children's cereal, something more than just good nutritional content was needed to appeal to youngsters. The cereal itself consisted of a corn and oat base in the shape of little crowns with holes in the center, and the image of a smiling King Vitaman was imprinted across the front of each box. There were even a series of commercials featuring a cartoon-style King Vitaman and his pals in a variety of adventures and misadventures, and a prize such as a miniature racing car or a mask was frequently included in each box.
The animated commercials, prizes, and the interesting shape of the cereal would have appealed most to kids such as 10-year-old Shawn Condylis pictured with her cat in this ad. But for her mother, Nancy, it was the nutritional content that was most important, and the assurance that Shawn would able to enjoy a nutritious breakfast even while having a mother who worked outside the home. That concept seems very commonplace today, but in 1974, with fewer women (and particularly mothers of young children) in the workforce, it was a bit less of the norm.
42 years after the publication of this ad, King Vitaman is still available in some markets. Perhaps it is even a favorite of Shawn's children or grandchildren.
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