Tony the Tiger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony the Tiger |
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Concept art for Chuck Gammage Animation by Daryl Graham
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| Created by | The Kellogg Company |
| Voiced by | Dallas McKennon (1952–1953) Thurl Ravenscroft (1953–2005) (US), (1953–1999) (UK) Lee Marshall (1999–2005; Understudy and Singing voice, 2005–2014; fulltime) Tex Brashear (2014–present) Tony Daniels (2005–present) (Canada) Tom Clarke Hill (1999–present) (UK) Jeff Morrow II (1999) Andy Nagraj (2019-present) Keith Scott (1991–present) (Australia) Kenji Utsumi (1991–2013) (Japanese) |
| Information | |
| Species | Tiger |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Papa Tony (father) Mama Tony (mother) |
| Spouse(s) | Mrs. Tony |
| Children | Tony Jr. (son) Antoinette (daughter) |
Tony the Tiger is a famous cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. This popular breakfast cereal is also known as Frosties. Tony appears on the cereal boxes and in commercials. He has also been the mascot for other cereals like Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers and Tiger Power. Tony first appeared in 1952. Since then, he has become a well-known symbol for breakfast cereals.
Contents
The Story of Tony the Tiger
In 1952, a talented artist named Eugene Kolkey created Tony the Tiger. Kolkey worked at an advertising company called Leo Burnett. He designed Tony to be the official mascot for Kellogg's new breakfast cereal. The tiger was named after Raymond Anthony Wells, an ad man at Leo Burnett.
Early Mascots and Tony's Rise
When Frosted Flakes first launched, Tony was not the only mascot. There were also Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant, and Newt the Gnu. However, within a year, Kellogg's decided to keep only Tony. Elmo and Newt never even made it onto the front of the cereal box. Tony soon became a true cereal icon.
The final design for Tony the Tiger came from a group of former Disney animators. They were known as Quartet Films. This group also designed other famous characters. These include the Jolly Green Giant and Snap, Crackle and Pop.
The Voice of Tony
Tony the Tiger needed a special voice. At first, Dallas McKennon voiced him. But soon after the first Frosted Flakes commercials aired, Thurl Ravenscroft took over. Thurl Ravenscroft voiced Tony for over 50 years. He gave Tony his famous deep voice and the well-known catchphrase, "They're gr-r-reat!" Thurl Ravenscroft himself created this phrase. He once said that he made Tony feel like a real person.
Tony's Family and Evolution
In the 1970s, Tony the Tiger became more "human-like." He was given an Italian-American background. People also met more of Tony's family. This included Mama Tony, Mrs. Tony, and his daughter, Antoinette. Tony was very popular with young Italian-Americans.
In 1974, Tony was even named "Tiger of the Year." This was part of an advertising theme based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The ads said, "This is the Year of the Tiger and Tony is the Tiger of the Year." Later that year, Tony appeared on the covers of Italian GQ and Panorama magazines.
Tony's son, Tony Jr., even had his own cereal for a short time in 1975. It was called Frosted Rice. Tony's look has changed a lot over the years. He started as a smaller, whimsical tiger. Now, he looks more like his grown-up son, Tony Jr. He is sleek, muscular, and loves sports. Tony the Tiger has always appeared on Kellogg's cereal boxes around the world.
Tony in Action
Tony often appears in commercials as an animated character in the real world. His drawn image is often placed over a live person, like an extreme sports athlete. This allows Tony to interact with the real world.
The long-time voice of Tony, Thurl Ravenscroft, passed away in 2005. In North America, Lee Marshall took over until his death in 2014. In the United Kingdom, Tony is voiced by Tom Clarke Hill. In Canada, Tony Daniels voices Tony.
Marketing and Milestones
In 1958, Kellogg's launched a campaign called "Put a Tiger on Your Team." This campaign encouraged children's sports teams to eat Kellogg's cereals. Tony the Tiger also joined other mascots to promote new "pre-sweetened cereals."
In 1974, after being named "Tiger of the Year," a new commercial was released. This commercial showed Tony's first daughter, Antoinette, tasting Frosted Flakes. This helped make Tony feel even more like a real family character. Tony Jr. also helped introduce new healthy products in the mid-1970s. By the end of the 1970s, Tony the Tiger had a complete family of three.
Tony the Tiger's popularity continued to grow. In 1981, he was featured in a Hot Air Balloon Championship.
In 2019, Kellogg's became the main sponsor of the Sun Bowl. This is a college football game in El Paso, Texas. The game was then called the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
In August 2022, Tony the Tiger even became a VTuber on Twitch. This means he appeared as a virtual character online.
Tony's Look Over Time
Tony's design has changed quite a bit since he first appeared. The original Tony the Tiger looked more like a typical tiger. He sometimes walked on all four legs. He wore a kerchief around his neck, and his head was shaped like a football. Over time, his look changed to be more muscular and human-like.
See also
In Spanish: Tony the Tiger para niños
