Raisin Bran

Cereal and Box

2000

Museum Collection

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran is a good example of the advertising power of the double: “…a generous two scoops for better taste.” A close look at the box, however, shows that there is only one scoop of raisins. The second scoop, through a neat cut and paste job, is an exact clone of the first. This is bizarre.

Possible explanations:

1. Kellogg wants to emphasize quantity above all. The scoops must be generically identical in order to achieve the effect of counting… 1, 2 scoops.

2. Quality control. Kellogg wants us to have confidence that our package of Raisin Bran contains exactly the same amount of raisins as that of our neighbor. Two visually distinct scoops would suggest to consumers the possibility that not all boxes are created equal.

3. The designers of the package feel guilty about the larger scam that is going on here. Since the size of 1 scoop is nowhere specified, the claim of 2 scoops is meaningless. This lack of an original measure which would substantiate the 2 scoops claim is visually referenced in the photographic doubling we find on the package.

*Also note the frequency of double letters on the box KeLLoGGs, Two ScOOps.