Maypo


Maypo is a brand of instant maple-flavored oatmeal cereal. It was originally manufactured by Maltex Co. and is now owned by Homestat Farm, Ltd. It was best known for its television commercials with the catchphrase, "I Want My Maypo" by Marky Maypo.

History

Maypo was developed by the Maltex Corporation in Burlington, Vermont, a company which had been manufacturing wheat and barley cereal since 1899 under the name Malted Cereals Company. The formula was invented in 1953 by Herbert A. Bahrenburg.
Shortly after the development of Maypo, Maltex was sold in 1956 and became a division of Heublein. By the mid-1960s its market share had declined and Maltex was sold to American Home Products. In 2001 Homestat Farm, Ltd. purchased Maypo.

Advertising

The original "I Want My Maypo" ad was developed in 1956 by the Fletcher, Richards, Calkins & Holden Advertising Agency. The animation was created by John Hubley. The commercial, which appealed to children, increased sales on average 78%, with some markets increasing sales by 186%.
Maypo's later television ads sometimes featured athletes—including Mickey Mantle, Wilt Chamberlain and Johnny Unitas—crying "I want my Maypo!"

In popular culture

's "I want my MTV!" image and branding campaign in 1982 was based on the "I want my Maypo!" catchphrase; both were developed by George Lois.
A Maypo commercial is seen on a television screen in the 1999 animated film The Iron Giant. In the 2015 Signature Edition, it was replaced with a commercial advertising Disney's Tomorrowland attraction.