Tony the Tiger

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For other uses, see Tony The Tiger (disambiguation).

In a 1995 commercial, Tony said, "Frosted Flakes have a taste adults have grown to love. They're grrreat!"

Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. More recently, Tony has also become the mascot for Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers and Tiger Power.

1 History
2 Frosties
3 Lawsuit against Exxon
4 Trivia
5 Notes
6 External links

[edit] History

Tony originally appeared in 1952, designed by children's book illustrator Martin Provensen and voiced by Wyatt Earp. He was originally named Wyatt Earp the tiger before being switched to Tony because Tony was not associated with violence like Wyatt Earp was. He instead was associated with Italian Americans, most notably Tony Danza.

Developed as part of a contest, Tony competed against three other potential mascots for the public's affection: Katy the Kangaroo (originated by Robert Dulaney in the early sixties), Elmo the Elephant, and Newt the Gnu. Within the year, the other mascots were dropped (with Elmo and Newt never once gracing the front of the box), and Tony was given a son, Tony Jr. Along with these changes, Thurl Ravenscroft took over as the voice of Tony and spent the next five decades providing the characteristic deep bass voice associated with the character, notably the familiar "They’re Grrreat!" catchphrase.

In the 1970s, consumers were briefly introduced to more of Tony's family including Mama Tony, Mrs. Tony, and a daughter Antoinette. Son Tony Jr. was even given his own short-lived cereal, Frosted Rice, which later became part of the Rice Krispies line.

When Ravenscroft died in 2005, Kellogg's hired former wrestling announcer Lee Marshall, who signed a 10-year contract in 2006 to be the new voice of Tony.

Provensen's original art design for the tiger has also changed significantly over the years, as Tony changed from a whimsical little critter with a teardrop-shaped head to a sleek, muscular sports enthusiast.

[edit] Frosties

Advertisements for Frosties in the United Kingdom are revoiced locally. The British Tony does still have an American accent however, as he is voiced by Californian actor and bass player, Tom Hill. For some time in the United Kingdom, the rock song "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor was used in conjunction with Tony's commercials.

[edit] Lawsuit against Exxon

In 1996, the Kellogg Company filed suit against Exxon Corp. (now ExxonMobil) claiming that the use of the Exxon tiger figure to sell food at TigerMart convenience stores infringed and diluted Kellogg's Tony the Tiger trademark. In 2000, the Supreme Court let stand an appellate court decision allowing Kellogg to sue, even though both trademarks had co-existed without complaint for 30 years. The appellate court held that the theory of "progressive encroachment" could explain and justify Kellogg's failure to take action earlier.^[1]

[edit] Trivia

Tony is one of the Monster in My Pocket characters. In collaboration with Morrison Entertainment Group and Corinthian Marketing, he is a coach to the Monster Wrestlers in My Pocket (figure #W9) and referee to the Monster Sports Stars in My Pocket (#B4).

In the credits of the video game Viewtiful Joe 2 the character Frost Tiger says "I'm Tony the [BLEEP]er! Try my new frosted flakes! They're grrrrrrrrrrrreat!

In television commercials aired in Spain, Tony's catchphrase is "Brrrutal!", with the emphasis on the second syllable. In addition to being a cognate of the identically-spelled English word, the Spanish term "brutal" also means "tremendous" in the colloquial.

In Mexico, Tony's known as "El Tigre Toño", and his his catch phrase is "¡Son Grrrrriquísimas!"

Tony made a cameo in an episode of Robot Chicken, alongside other cereal box mascots, such as the Trix Rabbit. Tony says his catchphrase as he shoots at a few policemen in the skit.

Tony is spoofed by the ironically named Crash Bandicoot character Tiny Tiger, a powerful yet stupid evolved Thylacine.

Tony is also spoofed in the Family Guy episode "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou," when Peter is having "store-brand imitation Frosted Flakes, featuring Terry the Tiger," whose catch phrase is, "They'rrrrrrrrrre food!"