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Pop-Tarts |
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The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. (November 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. |
Pop-Tarts is the brand for a flat rectangular toaster pastry approximately 3 inches (7.6 cm) by 5.5 inches (14 cm) made by the Kellogg Company. Pop-Tarts have a sugary filling sealed inside two layers of rectangular, thin pastry crust; each layer of this crust is about 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) thick. Most varieties have frosting, but some do not. They can be eaten without being warmed, but are often warmed inside a toaster. Recently, certain varieties have been marketed as tasting best when left to cool in the freezer. They are usually sold in pairs inside foil packages, and do not require refrigeration.1
Popular flavors include chocolate, blueberry, frosted strawberry, frosted brown sugar cinnamon, cherry, S'mores, and mixed versions of these flavors.
For a brief period in the early 1990s, Kellogg's sold a strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon flavored Pop-Tarts cold cereal, shaped like miniature frosted toaster pastries.citation needed
Pop-Tarts are Kellogg's most popular brand to date, with more than 2 billion Pop-Tarts sold each year.2 They are distributed mainly in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Canada. Pop-Tarts were discontinued in Australia in 2005.3 To some extent, the brand name "Pop-Tart" has become a genericized trademark describing any toaster pastry.
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Post Cereals first created the confection that would become Pop-Tarts in the early 1960s. Post adapted its process for enclosing food in foil to keep it fresh without spoiling—first used for dog food—to its new toaster-prepared breakfast food. Intended to complement its cold cereals, Post announced its new product in 1963 to the press, giving them the name "Country Squares".4
Because Post had revealed Country Squares before it was ready, Post's biggest competitor, Kellogg, was able to develop its own version in six months.5
Kellogg's rushed their new pastry into the market very quickly and its name came from one of the hottest things at the time: Pop Art which Andy Warhol made a household name with his giant soup cans and Brillo boxes. Pop-Tarts advertised its new product by an animated toaster named Milton and could not keep the shelves stocked because it became so popular.5
Originally not frosted when first introduced, it was later proved that frosting could survive the toaster, and the first frosted Pop-Tarts were officially released in 1967. The first Pop-Tarts came out in four different flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple currant.5 Today, there are a wide variety of Pop-tart flavors, including Chocolate Chip, S'Mores, Raspberry, French Toast and Mint Chocolate Chip.
In 1992, Pop-Tarts became the focus of controversy when Thomas Nangle sued Kellogg for damages after his Pop-Tart got stuck and caught fire in his toaster. The case gained notoriety when humor columnist Dave Barry wrote a column about starting a fire in his own toaster with Pop-Tarts.6 In 1994, Texas A&M University professor Joseph Delgado performed an experiment proving that, when left in the toaster too long, strawberry Pop-Tarts could produce flames over a foot high.7 The discovery triggered a flurry of lawsuits. Since then, Pop-Tarts carry the warning: "Due to possible risk of fire, never leave your toasting appliance or microwave unattended.".
Pop-Tarts were introduced with fairly substantial marketing to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s, although they have failed to replicate their U.S. success and the only available flavours are now chocolate and strawberry (though other flavours such as apple are popular amongst imports). The frosting initially had a tendency to melt off of the surface completely during heating and subsequently clog the toaster, a design error which suggests they may have been manufactured by a different company under license. This is still a topic of debate.
In 2001, the United States' military dropped 2.4 million Pop-Tarts in Afghanistan during the United States War in Afghanistan.8
In 2004, Pop-Tarts began a new ad campaign titled "Crazy Good". Characters that appeared often were a singing lizard and a group of kids, dubbed "crazy-good kids", who commonly frightened the Pop-Tarts and caused them to be eaten or chased away. The ads employ squiggly animation, surreal humor, and non sequitur, all of which bear a strong resemblance to the signature work of animator Don Hertzfeldt. One "crazy-good kid" in particular bears strong resemblance to Billy in Hertzfeldt's Billy's Balloon. However, Hertzfeldt was not involved in any way with the ads and is currently looking into possible litigation for stealing his work. 9
In 2006, Pop-Tarts also introduced a new product known as Go-Tarts. These are similar to Pop-Tarts, but are long, narrow, and wrapped individually (instead of in packages of two). True to their name, they are used on-the-go, portably.
In 2008, Pop-Tarts did a hide and seek game on the official American Website that led up to the unveiling of a new flavor. The flavor was hidden in a ninja outfit and was found to be Vanilla Milkshake (this Pop-Tart was the only one in the hide 'n seek game who only spoke Japanese).
Frosted Flavors
Non-Frosted
Pop-Tarts Splitz™
Limited Edition
Printed Fun™
Whole Grain w/ Fiber
Kelloggs discontinued Snak-Stix in 2005[1]
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