How Marketing Helped A Simple Recipe Became A Classic Treat • PS Copywriting

I remember coming home from school and seeing the pan cooling in the mud room.

And the happiness I felt knowing that sweet, crunchy treat was my after-school snack. When I became a mother, I made these for my children.

I still make them.

When my adult son comes over and sees the pan on the counter, he smiles. They are a favorite of his.

This family favorite treat shows up at birthday parties, school cafeterias, and office potlucks.

You can also pick them up, pre-made, at your local grocery store.

If you haven’t guessed already, I am talking about Rice Krispies Treats.

Inventing a Classic Snack

Rice Krispies, the third cereal released by Kellogg’s, first appeared on store shelves in 1928.

In 1939, a little over ten years later, the marketing department at Kellogg’s was tasked with promoting the cereal to increase sales, and they turned to their cooks in the Battle Creek, Michigan, test kitchen for help. They wanted a recipe that used the cereal. Something consumers would like to make – and in turn – buy more boxes.¹

Mildred Day and Malitta Jensen, cooks in the test kitchen, worked for two weeks perfecting the recipe. After several tries, the Rice Krispie Treats was born.

Originally called “Marshmallow Squares,” the recipe first appeared on the cereal box in 1941. It contained three ingredients: Rice Krispies Cereal, butter, and marshmallows.

Kellogg’s trademarked the original recipe. However, you’ll find a variation of it on boxes of similar rice-based cereals.

Rice Krispies Treats Lore

While researching the recipe for this article, I visited Kellogg’s website. The original recipe was there; however, I couldn’t find any information regarding its origin.²

In addition to the marketing department task, some articles suggested Mildred invented the marshmallow treats recipe for the Campfire Girls and later shared it with Kellogg’s test kitchen staff.³

I guess it really doesn’t matter how the recipe came about. The marketing genius was placing the recipe on the box.

That simple cereal-based treat became a family favorite made by generations.

Including mine.

#marketing #storytelling #traditions

¹^{https://www.cooksinfo.com/rice-krispies-squares#History_Notes}

³^{https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/dining/2017/09/21/archives-love-rice-krispies-treats-you-have-iowan-thank/686025001}

²^{https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/recipes/the-original-treats-recipe.html}