Introduced in 1953, the cereal has undergone several name changes. It started out as Sugar Smacks. In the 1980s, it was renamed Honey Smacks. In the early 1990s, perhaps because the product mascot, Dig'em Frog, had customarily been portrayed as calling the cereal "Smacks", the word "Honey" was dropped from the name and the product was then simply called Smacks. That name is still used in Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. However, in the US the name reverted to Honey Smacks in 2004. In the UK in 1957, a similar product called Sugar Puffs debuted; it was formerly produced by the Quaker Oats Company, and by 1976 the mascot became a large hairy yellow creature called the Honey Monster. In Norway and Finland, it is known as "Honni Korn Smacks". In Australia, the cereal had been known as Honey Smacks since the 1970s. However, Kelloggs Australia no longer markets the brand. In 2007, a minor consumer petition was launched calling for the reinstatement of the product. Honey Smacks are no longer sold in Italy.
Sugar content
In a 2008 comparison of the nutritional value of 27 cereals, US magazineConsumer Reports found that both Honey Smacks and the similar Post Cereals' Golden Crisp were the two brands with the highest sugar content, more than 50 percent, commenting "There is at least as much sugar in a serving of Kellogg's Honey Smacks as there is in a glazeddoughnut from Dunkin' Donuts". Consumer Reports recommended parents choose cereal brands with better nutrition ratings for their children. The product title Honey Smacks is inconsistent with honey being a minor ingredient in the recipe. The ingredient label implies that sugar and dextrose are at least two-thirds of the sugar ingredients by weight. Conversely, the proportion of honey in the recipe could range from trace amounts to one-third.
2018 recall
Kellogg's announced a voluntary recall of certain Honey Smacks packages on June 14, 2018, due to the possible presence of salmonella. Although the recall included only packages with a specific range of expiration dates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later advised consumers to avoid eating the cereal entirely. The cereal returned to the shelves in November of that year.
Marketing history
Ever since the cereal was introduced in 1953, there have been various different mascots.
USA
Cliffy the Clown Various clowns served as the advertising mascot from 1953 to 1956, including Cliffy the Clown and Lou Jacobs from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Ads with these clowns were known for showing them doing the "Sugar Smack Swing". Smaxey the Seal In 1957, a sailor-suit-wearing seal named Smaxey became the mascot. Quick Draw McGraw The Hanna-Barbera cartoon horse sheriff, Quick Draw McGraw, took over in 1961. The Smackin' Bandit In 1965, the mascot became The Smackin' Bandit, a half-mule, half-kangaroo who kissed everyone in sight. The Smackin' Brothers The Smackin' Bandit was replaced in 1966 by the Smackin' Brothers, two boys dressed in boxing shorts and boxing gloves. These ads usually featured the brothers wanting Sugar Smacks but winding up smacking each other instead. Also during 1966, promotional box designs were briefly introduced featuring characters from Star Trek. Later commercials were similar to most Cheerios commercials as they demonstrated how the cereal was "vitamin-powered". Paul Frees narrated these ads. Dig'em Frog In the early 1970s, an Indian Chief appeared briefly, replaced by Dig'em Frog in 1972. He continued as the mascot when the cereal was rechristened Honey Smacks in the early 1980s. In these ads, Dig'em would appear in front of a group of kids, and they would eat some cereal together. Love Smacks This character was a heart shaped dog, which was featured in 1982 giving hugs to children. Wally the Bear Dig 'em was replaced by an animal more associated with honey, Wally the Bear, in 1986. These ads featured Wally pestering a kid eating a bowl of Honey Smacks and doing anything to get some, and the kid would always refuse or just ignore Wally completely. Animated by Kurtz & Friends, these commercials performed poorly since they seemed too much like the Trix commercials, and Dig'em Frog was brought back the following year by popular demand. Dig'em Frog During the 1990s, advertising campaigns for the cereal featured Dig'em attempting to have a bowl of Smacks while trying to outsmart his nemesis, Kitty. By 1997, these commercials were discontinued. Dig'em's voice was provided by Len Dresslar and later Frank Welker. While ads for Honey Smacks no longer air in the US, more recent ads in other countries depict Dig'em as a character who is crazily addicted to Smacks.
Europe
UK
In the United Kingdom, the cereal was promoted with the character Barney Bee from the mid 1980s, to compete with its rivaled Quaker's Sugar Puffs brand. By the 1990s it was changed to Dig'em Frog.
France
In France the cereal was called "Smacks" with a box featuring prominently in Jean-Luc Godard's 1965 filmAlphaville.
Similar products
Post's Golden Crisp
Quaker's Sugar Puffs
Malt-O-Meal's Golden Puffs
Aldi stores sell a similar product called Honey Wheat Puffs manufactured under the Millville brand.
