INDIANA JONES CEREAL

INDIANA JONES CEREAL

Kellogg’s

            Around the same time he conceived of Star Wars, filmmaker George Lucas also came up with an adventuring archaeologist that would, like Wars, become a modern interpretation of film serials from the 30s and 40s. Wars briefly overshadowed development on the project, but a chance encounter with Steven Spielberg brought him back to the forefront. Lucas sold Spielberg on his idea and he agreed to direct the film. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) made his debut in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, trying to beat the Nazis to the legendary Ark of the Covenant using his brains, his friends, his trusty bullwhip and his gun. The film became a critical and commercial success, spawning two sequels within the decade, a spin-off television series, books, video games and more.

            After his son asked him when the next Indiana Jones film would come out in 2000, Lucas decided to revisit an idea he had been working on after being inspired by the television show. Although Spielberg and Ford were initially resistant to the idea, the thought of recreating the fun of working together again won out and production moved forward. 2008 saw the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Set in 1957, it featured an aging Indy became embroiled in a Cold War plot by Soviets to find an alien crystal skull and use it to get them to the Peruvian city of Akator.

Back of the box.

            As part of the marketing push for the film, Kellogg’s acquired the license to produce a limited edition cereal inspired by it. Indiana Jones cereal featured chocolate cereal pieces and marshmallows in the shapes of a crystal skull, Indy’s hat, a torch and the Temple of Akator. Interestingly enough, while the aging Indy was shown with his son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), and primary antagonist, Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), on the back of the box, the front of the box used a cropped portion of Richard Amsel’s painting for the Raiders theatrical poster. The back of the box also featured a maze adventure game where you had to navigate between bubbles depicting some sort of event as you made your way to the end.