Trix (cereal) facts for kids
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Trix – Naturally and Artificially Fruit Flavored Sweetened Corn Puffs, with milk
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| Product type | Breakfast cereal |
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| Owner | General Mills |
| Produced by | General Mills (US) Nestlé (outside US) |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1954 |
| Related brands | Kix |
| Markets | Global |
Trix is a yummy breakfast cereal known for its fruity flavors. It's made by a company called General Mills in the United States. If you live outside the U.S., you might see Trix made by Cereal Partners, which uses the Nestlé brand. Trix cereal pieces are made from corn and are sweet and taste like different fruits.
Did you know Trix also has a yogurt? Yoplait, a yogurt company mostly owned by General Mills, makes Trix-flavored yogurt especially for kids.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Trix Cereal
How Trix Began
Trix cereal first came out in 1954. General Mills created it as a sweeter version of their popular Kix cereal. When Trix first launched, it was made with more than 46% sugar!
The first Trix cereal pieces came in three colors: "Orangey Orange," "Lemony Yellow," and "Raspberry Red."
Changing Colors and Shapes
Over the years, Trix added more fun fruit shapes and colors.
- "Grapity Purple" joined the mix in 1984.
- "Lime Green" was added in 1991.
- "Wildberry Blue" appeared in 1996.
- "Berry Blue" and "Watermelon" also became part of the colorful lineup.
In 1991 and again in 1995, the cereal pieces got a brighter, more colorful look.
Originally, Trix cereal pieces were round. But in 1991, they changed to puffed fruit shapes. This change likely happened to make Trix different from Berry Berry Kix, which came out in 1992.
However, in 2007, Trix in the United States went back to its original round shapes. Many fans were not happy about this! Mexico was the only country that kept the fruit-shaped pieces until late 2018. Then, the fruit shapes were brought back everywhere.
Natural Colors and Back Again
In 2015, General Mills announced a big change. They said they would stop using artificial colors in their cereals. Trix was one of the first cereals to switch.
Because of this, Trix went from six colors down to four. They found good natural colors for orange, yellow, red, and purple. But they couldn't find natural blue or green colors that worked well.
But guess what? On September 21, 2017, General Mills announced that the six-color version of Trix would return! Customers had missed the original colors. So, the company decided to bring back the artificial dyes and flavors for that version. The four-color, naturally flavored Trix continued to be sold too.
At the same time, General Mills also said they would bring back the puffed fruit-shaped pieces. This happened around late 2018.
Meet the Trix Rabbit
The Silly Rabbit's Debut
Just one year after Trix came out, in 1955, General Mills started thinking about a rabbit puppet for their cereal. A talented writer and illustrator named Joe Harris created the famous animated "Silly Rabbit."
The Trix Rabbit first appeared in a TV commercial in 1959. Joe Harris also wrote the super famous Trix slogan: "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!" This phrase is still used today. At the end of every commercial, the children tell the rabbit that the cereal is just for them.
The Rabbit's Never-Ending Quest
The Trix Rabbit is a cartoon rabbit who really, really wants to eat Trix cereal. He's always full of energy and tries to trick kids into giving him a bowl. But he always gets caught! The kids always tell him off with their famous line: "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!"
Sometimes, in commercials from the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Trix Rabbit would get a taste or find a secret stash. Then he would say, "And sometimes for tricky rabbits!"
The Trix Rabbit's struggle to get Trix is a bit like the Greek story of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was a figure who had to do the same hard task over and over again, never quite finishing.
When the Rabbit Won!
Even though he usually fails, the Trix Rabbit did get to eat Trix cereal sometimes! This happened five times because of special contests where people mailed in votes. These contests were called "Let The Rabbit Eat Trix." They happened in 1968, 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1991.
The votes were almost always "yes," and the Trix Rabbit was shown in a commercial happily eating a bowl of Trix. Kids who voted even got a special button based on their choice!
In 1991, the Trix Rabbit even won a "Tour de Trix Bicycle Race." At the end of the race, two judges argued about whether he should get the prize. To decide, kids were asked to send in their votes. The answer was "yes," and the Trix Rabbit was thrilled to get his prize!
Rabbit's Disguises and Other Appearances
In commercials from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, the Trix Rabbit often dressed up in disguises to try and get the cereal. He pretended to be a balloon seller, a painter, or even an American Indian.
One other slogan for the cereal was: "Oranges, Lemons, and Grapes I see; the fruit taste of Trix is all for me!" Once, even Bugs Bunny helped the Trix Rabbit try to get the cereal!
The Trix Rabbit became so popular that he appeared in commercials for other products too. He was in a Got Milk? advertisement, where he disguised himself as a man. He took Trix from a grocery store but then realized he had no milk, which made him very upset!
See also
