Here's some fun trivia--Kellogg's got the idea for Pop Tarts from Post Cereals, which had announced that they were going to introduce a toastable pastry square product to be called "Country Squares." Kellogg's rushed to get theirs to the market ahead of Post but of course needed a new name. So what was cool in 1964 other than the Beatles? Pop Art! Yes, the name Pop Tart is a play on the super modern, super cool art movement brought to you by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Roy Lichtenstein. Anything with "Pop" in it sounded perfect for the space age '60s. And then we have "Country Squares." What wasn't cool in 1964? Country, which sounded the opposite of modern. As for squares, well, what was a square in the '60s? Someone who was not groovy and with it. So the latecomer Country Squares tanked and Pop Tarts became part of American food history (and art history?).
July 26, 2015 at 10:41am