History Advertising / SnapCrackleAndPop

In 1928, Kellogg’s cereal released a new cereal, a rice-based cereal that came with its own sounds: Rice Krispies. When milk was poured on the cereal, it would contract in, creating various noises. This unique experience quickly became a gimmick for the cereal, and in 1929, it was added to the ad campaigns. However, at that point, they were just words.

In 1933, a drawing was added to the cereal boxes: a small gnome in a chef’s outfit named “Snap”. In the same year, he would be joined by two others: “Crackle” and “Pop”.

Named for the onomatopoeia of the cereal’s crinkling noises, Snap, Crackle and Pop were turned from gnomes to elves, and continue to be used as mascots not just for the cereal, but for spin-off product Rice Krispies Treats (Rice Krispies Squares in some countries). Most of their ad campaigns consist of the trio invoking the sounds of the cereal in a variety of ways. Sometimes the sounds cause a variety of things to happen, while other times, the sounds aren’t ''able'' to be performed, most often due to at least one of them missing (usually Pop, though a few ads had all three get kidnapped by monsters that hated the cereal's noise), with the goal being to reunite all three brothers to complete the sound’s trifecta.

* AnchoviesAreAbhorrent: See BreadEggsMilkSquick below.

* EyePop: Crackle and Pop do this at the beginning of one 90s ad when they see pretty girls dancing on TV, which leads to the TrappedInTVLand example below.

* FacePalm: Snap does this at the end of the "Focus Group" ad as Crackle tries to figure out why he was mistaken for a girl.

* FauxHorrific: The guinea pig in the "Class Roam" ad. Given Pop's small size, though, it's justified.

* ScaryStingingSwarm: A 1998 ad for honey-flavored Rice Krispies (which Australia calls Rice Bubbles) shows the trio running from a swarm of bees; though soon Snap and Crackle move out of the way and see Pop still running from the swarm, much to their amusement.
** A Canadian-French ad had the trio hiding from bees on a box of honey-flavored Rice Krispies, only for Pop to [[SneezeOfDoom sneeze]] and fall off the box, and then run from the bees again.

* ShoutOut: Singing with the Bars is a spoof of ''Series/AmericanIdol''. Likewise, its shorter-lived successor Dancing with the Bars is based on ''Series/DancingWithTheStars''.

* IAmNotShazam: As Pop backs away from a guinea pig in "Class Roam", he nervously says, "N-n-n-nice kitty..."

* SiblingTeam: While only being confirmed as siblings in a storyboard for an old commercial, as soon as Crackle and Pop were introduced to the ad campaigns, the three of them have been inseparable as a team.
** Actually, some cereal boxes from the early 2000s also confirm them as brothers in their descriptions.

** The original US versions have come through [[https://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/resources/images/9031924?type=responsive-gallery-fullscreen]] in every decade due to changing times.

** The original US versions have come through [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/50653e92-d8e9-43fe-af51-cd0aed6a1eb6/df301cr-93cafb41-f411-4fa9-a657-9528e760fbaa.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzUwNjUzZTkyLWQ4ZTktNDNmZS1hZjUxLWNkMGFlZDZhMWViNlwvZGYzMDFjci05M2NhZmI0MS1mNDExLTRmYTktYTY1Ny05NTI4ZTc2MGZiYWEuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.N_ZbJu6Zk0UO06GlL-pQkYgze8_RrFThYCsZ1pQucQk inconsistent changes]] in every decade due to changing times.
** Kellogg's Canada on the other hand decided to change them, although slightly modernizing them to be different, yet see a familiar face, [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/50653e92-d8e9-43fe-af51-cd0aed6a1eb6/df2epgj-6cbb723c-ef1b-4fdb-a795-189b2703ebfc.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzUwNjUzZTkyLWQ4ZTktNDNmZS1hZjUxLWNkMGFlZDZhMWViNlwvZGYyZXBnai02Y2JiNzIzYy1lZjFiLTRmZGItYTc5NS0xODliMjcwM2ViZmMuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.N21E_7Iv4Sfzp-CEut_2Ccgef5HoCw9ofN0dij5WbLQ leading them to have elements from the 80's commercials back in the US]]. Examples included Crackle's weird flower-like hair style being simplified to be more soft rounded, and Pop's drum major’s shako now has a strap around it, and he now sports gloves on.

* CargoShip: An online Valentine's Day promo showed Pop, and soon Snap and Crackle, getting lovestruck over a batch of Rice Krispies Treats.

** A Canadian-French ad had the trio hiding from bees on a box of honey-flavored Rice Krispies, only for Pop to sneeze and fall off the box, and then run from the bees again.

* SpeakInUnison: Happens a few times in some ads, such as when the assure a flower girl that "You'll be terrific!" in one 80s ad, and when Snap and Pop, after trying the Rice Krispies Treats Crackle made in the "Big Game" promo in 2013, say "And they're good!"

* SeriousBusiness: The bowling alley ad from 2002 has the trio decide to investigate when Crackle sees a kid eating Rice Krispies without milk (a Rice Krispies Squares bar). After Snap sees this, though, he puts Crackle's worries to rest by telling him that kids can now take the trio everywhere.

** The whole trio has it at the end of a 1962 ad when, after they had all gotten injured, they see a Rice Krispies box about to drop on them and immediately run away.

* Balloonacy: Happens with Pop at the end of one early-80s ad.

** Becomes an actual duet between Crackle and Pop in the ad where the elves all get injured, as Snap plays his verse on a flute.

* TheLeader: Snap. His mini-bio on some early 2000s Rice Krispies boxes even describe him as the responsible one.

* LuminescentBlush: Pop gets red in the face in a 70s ad when a little girl he gets a crush on kisses him.
** In the Dancing with the Bars ad, Snap blushes when he notices that the viewers are watching him dance.