Description[]
"crunchy corn cereal"
Notes[]
Initial boxes of Quisp referred to the cereal as "the vitamin powered sugary cereal... for QUAZY energy." The "crunchy corn cereal" pieces were often called "saucer-shaped"
In the case of Quisp, the mascot came first. Jay Ward and Bill Scott, the creators of Rocky & Bullwinkle were asked by Quaker to create characters which cereal brands could be built upon. In 1963, Ward and Scott delivered Cap'n Crunch. In 1964, they gave them Quisp.
The counterpart cereal to Quisp was Quake. Introduced the same year, Quake was another crunchy cereal with pieces shaped like gears. Ads for the Quake referred to the cereal pieces as "wheelies". While the flavors of the two cereals were basically identical, Quisp was a far more popular cereal.
At the height of the the cereals' popularity, Quisp and Quake took in 1.6% of the entire breakfast cereal market-- almost equivalent to what Cap'n Crunch gets today.
In 1972, the final battle between Quisp and Quake began. Earlier ads, in which the cereals were promoted together, often challenged kids to choose which cereal was better. But in the earlier 1970's, the stakes were raised. Quaker ran print ads and television commercials asking consumers to vote on their favorite cereal/character. The loser would be banished from grocery store shelves. Quisp won by a wide margin and, true to their word, Quaker discontinued Quake cereal.
Quisp cereal began disappearing from grocery stores in the late 1970's. It was re-introduced in the mid-80's for a short time. Today (2021), Quisp has been available again for at least a few years, albeit in limited places and only the 8.5oz size box.
Company[]
Quaker
Mascot[]
Quisp-- a pink alien with a propeller protruding from the top of his head
Introduced[]
1965
Discontinued[]
1979
Marketing[]
Quisp and Quake were almost always promoted together. The usual commercial scenario had the two characters competing against each other for screen time and bickering over which cereal was best or provided the best premium.
Other Varieties[]
Quake