What Happened To Pink Panther Flakes?

An animated short-turned-Saturday Morning-cartoon, "The Pink Panther Show" has among the most recognizable soundtracks in television history. However, people may be less familiar with the cereal inspired by the program. Food manufacturer Post was among the sponsors of "The Pink Panther Show," and it rolled out a cereal meant to capitalize on the franchise. There are differing accounts of when exactly this occurred, but existing advertisements suggest the product debuted in 1972 if not slightly earlier. Sadly, Pink Panther Flakes lacked the staying power of more popular cereals, and the breakfast food disappeared.

Pink Panther Flakes offered little new to the cereal zeitgeist. They were essentially frosted corn flakes with pink coating that would also change the color of milk. They included eight different vitamins. Like many cereals of the era, Pink Panther Flakes came with in-box toys. Among them was a five-in-one spy kit, a panther figurine that opened to reveal gadgets like a mini-magnifying glass and whistle.

Perhaps more memorable than the actual cereal was the series of commercials behind it. They were very similar to the classic Pink Panther cartoons. The colorful cat tries to enjoy a bowl of his namesake cereal but must contend with interruptions from different foes, including the small, round man who appeared in the original show and a doppelgänger that springs from an illustration on the cereal box. The whole thing is set to a high-pitched female voice singing the Pink Panther Flakes' praises to the tune of Henry Mancini's iconic theme.

Post obviously hoped to piggyback on the cartoon's popularity and create a whole new brand of cereal, but were Pink Panther Flakes any good? It depends on who you ask, but many who tried the cereal back in the day and reminisce about it online report having been less-than-thrilled with the flavor. A Reddit user who recalled eating the product likened it to Frosted Flakes, the only difference being the color.

A couple of less generous reviews claimed the cereal tasted like fiberglass. Additionally a commenter noted that their milk, despite being turned bright pink by the cereal, did not yield any new flavor. All in all, the recollections of the cereal suggest Pink Panther Flakes were pretty lackluster.

We haven't found any official information on when the cereal went away, but various online posts point to 1974 as the year that Post stopped producing Pink Panther Flakes. The exact reasons are unknown, but it seems likely that Pink Panther Flakes did not stand out in a market already saturated by cereals inspired by children's cartoons. Whatever the reason its apparent failure to catch on with consumers in a big way doomed it to become one of many foods we don't see anymore.