They're Gr-r-r-izzate!
April 17, 2008 11:12 AM   Subscribe

Get all your underground urban Kellogg's-branded gear from Under the Hood.
posted by slogger (79 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
cereously?
posted by dontoine at 11:15 AM on April 17, 2008 [7 favorites]


yep, best of the web advertisments.
posted by HuronBob at 11:17 AM on April 17, 2008


Get all your underground urban Kellogg's-branded gear from Under the Hood.

I will. I promise. Absolutely 100% of it.


Excellent post title.
posted by gurple at 11:17 AM on April 17, 2008


Icy Hot Crispaz.
posted by elwoodwiles at 11:19 AM on April 17, 2008


Hey, it works for McDonalds and for Kool, why not cereal?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:20 AM on April 17, 2008


AHAHAHAHAHAH! I love how they try to make Corn Flakes look street.
posted by yellowbinder at 11:20 AM on April 17, 2008


The Froot Loops back shot is pretty awesome.

"Follow your nose! To my ass!"
posted by gurple at 11:22 AM on April 17, 2008 [3 favorites]


HAW HAW

Black people sure are different.
posted by ozomatli at 11:24 AM on April 17, 2008


It's on, n*gga / on and crackin' / like Dig 'Em / lips be smackin' / runnin' off at they mouth steady talkin' 'bout us / on some shit they overheard but enough is enough
posted by alexwoods at 11:31 AM on April 17, 2008


I love how they try to make Corn Flakes look street.

.... violence broke out again last night between the Fifth Avenue Fruit Loops and the Central Ave Hello Kitty gangs. Witnesses report multiple shots were fired. Police arrived to find soggy corn flakes and a milk-spattered crime scene. A dark skinned male, of average height and build, wearing a hooded Tony the Tiger fuzzy sweater was seen running away from the bowl. He is believed to be armed with a spoon.
posted by three blind mice at 11:32 AM on April 17, 2008 [7 favorites]


That made me laugh. The heavily embroidered, fruitloops jeans especially.
posted by heatherbeth at 11:33 AM on April 17, 2008


Weren't Corn Flakes originally created to reduce men's sex drive? Is this the sort of message our youth want to convey?
posted by bondcliff at 11:36 AM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


HAW HAW

Black people sure are different.


Wrong teapot for your tempest. This ad campaign represents black people about as accurately as this McDonald's campaign represents Asians.

It's LOLSTUPIDADS, not LOLOTHERRACES
posted by gurple at 11:40 AM on April 17, 2008


bondcliff, I think you're thinking of graham crackers, although it may be true of corn flakes as well.
posted by slogger at 11:41 AM on April 17, 2008


I really dig those Smacks clothes.
posted by cowbellemoo at 11:42 AM on April 17, 2008


No tempest.

I have seen many black students in my school wear clothing exactly as portrayed. From Spongebob to Tony the Tiger.
posted by ozomatli at 11:43 AM on April 17, 2008


Jordans do not go with Snap, Crackle & Pop. Bapes (or faux Bapes) do not go with Corn Flakes. Oh sure it rhymes with it, but it clashes.

If they had the models (because if you think these guys are gangstas, then lord, I am mickey mouse) quit mean mugging and actually crack a smirk or two, it would make a purchase seem more likely.

$110? I cannot understand how hoodies got to be priced at $75+ dollars. Can somebody explain how this is?
posted by cashman at 11:45 AM on April 17, 2008


Some teenage boy is going to get one of those shirts as a birthday present from his clueless mom, and he is going to get straight-up guffawed at the first time he wears it in front of his friends. Which will be awesome.
posted by joelhunt at 11:46 AM on April 17, 2008


I think there is a serious culture gap on metafilter.
posted by ozomatli at 11:47 AM on April 17, 2008 [3 favorites]


I can't stop looking... I keep finding new and terrible things.
posted by Kloryne at 11:49 AM on April 17, 2008


Slogger,

From Wikipedia: A follower of Sylvester Graham, the inventor of graham crackers and graham bread and supporter of sexual abstinence, Kellogg believed that spicy or sweet foods would increase passions.The foods were therefore experimented in a psychological ward with great success. In contrast, cornflakes would have an anaphrodisiac property and lower the sex drive.[2]

I always add green M&Ms to my cornflakes, to counteract the effect.
posted by bondcliff at 11:50 AM on April 17, 2008


I think there is a serious culture gap on metafilter.

Be that as it may, I think it's still OK to laugh at ham-handed corporate cooptation of minority self-identification.
posted by gurple at 11:51 AM on April 17, 2008


oooh, and Omar would totally wear ones for Honey Nut Cheerios. Ya know, under the kevlar and trenchcoat. Man, cereal is great.
posted by cowbellemoo at 11:53 AM on April 17, 2008 [2 favorites]


Uzis, material / eating Cocopuff cereal

- Kool Keith
posted by alexwoods at 11:55 AM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I have seen many black students in my school wear clothing exactly as portrayed.

Wait a year and then you'll see the white kids wearing it.

And then wait five years and you'll see European kids wearing it.
posted by three blind mice at 11:55 AM on April 17, 2008 [4 favorites]


I guess my position is that it is not ham-handed at all. This is not a new thing.
posted by ozomatli at 11:57 AM on April 17, 2008


Police arrived to find soggy corn flakes and a milk-spattered crime scene.

All likely signs indicating the work of a 'cereal killer.'
posted by ericb at 11:58 AM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I guess my position is that it is not ham-handed at all. This is not a new thing.

Not ham-handed? I'm not talking about the products, exactly. I wouldn't wear them, but I'm too cheap to buy clothes that expensive, anyway.

What's ham-handed is this kind of corporate attempt to jam their logos into a subculture. I mean, come on. Look at the people in those pictures. They're airbrushed pretty boys. They should be in an a capella group. It's like some weird A&F caricature of the sort of people they think might wear these clothes.
posted by gurple at 12:02 PM on April 17, 2008


I think those are the work uniforms for people who work here.
posted by resurrexit at 12:02 PM on April 17, 2008


(and yes, I know, there are plenty of black people in a capella groups. Perhaps that's the target market, after all)
posted by gurple at 12:03 PM on April 17, 2008


I feel bad for whatever school this is where kids actually wear Tony the Tiger jackets. It's almost unbelievable to me. Unless it is the Academy for Suckas (Fresh! for 2008).
posted by cashman at 12:04 PM on April 17, 2008


Heh, they make crappy cereal bicycle jerseys too, but if I see you wearing one I'll have to jam my pump into your spokes.
posted by fixedgear at 12:08 PM on April 17, 2008


I have seen many black students in my school wear clothing exactly as portrayed. From Spongebob to Tony the Tiger.

Wow, you mean black people can have bad taste, too?! (Or do you actually think these clothes are cool, just by virtue of the fact that some black people wear them?)
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:12 PM on April 17, 2008


Wow, those suck. Very funny stuff. I love the idea of Kellogg's trying to be all down and street with their cereal brands. Ridiculous.
posted by MythMaker at 12:14 PM on April 17, 2008


I had a client whose 17 year old son who wore his "Lucky Coke" shirt with a cartoon of the Lucky Charms Leprechaun cooking up crack from powder cocaine for like a year straight. I don't think I ever saw him wear anything but that shirt.
posted by The Straightener at 12:14 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


What's ham-handed is this kind of corporate attempt to jam their logos into a subculture. I mean, come on. Look at the people in those pictures. They're airbrushed pretty boys. They should be in an a capella group. It's like some weird A&F caricature of the sort of people they think might wear these clothes.
posted by gurple at 2:02 PM on April 17 [+] [!]


It's no more ham-handed than apple making t-shirts with the apple logo or any other company putting their logo on something. I guess I don't understand why its funny when hip-hop clothing has the trix rabbit on it , but was edgy for a hipster to wear a retro tee with the same thing.

Models are models.
posted by ozomatli at 12:14 PM on April 17, 2008


Wait, you're saying we can't make fun of hipsters, now, either?
posted by gurple at 12:16 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]



I have seen many black students in my school wear clothing exactly as portrayed. From Spongebob to Tony the Tiger.

Wow, you mean black people can have bad taste, too?! (Or do you actually think these clothes are cool, just by virtue of the fact that some black people wear them?)
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:12 PM on April 17 [+] [!]


I don't quite appreciate what you're implying but you, sir, are the only one making a judgment call on the merits of the clothing.

My point was that this is not some harebrained scheme. People do wear these clothes and have no problem wearing them. No one makes fun of them at school or even bats an eye at it.
posted by ozomatli at 12:17 PM on April 17, 2008


Kkarma, yo.
posted by lukemeister at 12:20 PM on April 17, 2008


$110? I cannot understand how hoodies got to be priced at $75+ dollars. Can somebody explain how this is?

There's a phenomenon where, simply by arbitrarily increasing the price of something, you increase it's perceived value and desirability to foolish, easily manipulated, or superficial people. Economists, (not to endorse economics), have a name for this: "Veblen goods." Basically, a $110 hoodie functions to shout "I have $110 to waste on a hoodie," which is pernicious in general and especially considering that this particular instance is being marketed to demographics who generally don't really have $110 to waste on a hoodie.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 12:21 PM on April 17, 2008


Wait, you're saying we can't make fun of hipsters, now, either?
posted by gurple at 2:16 PM on April 17 [+] [!]


Hell go for it. I just think there's a bit of a double standard going on here. Is the issue that the clothes are "ugly"? Or is the issue that you think companies are off-base making clothing like this?

What was the point of the OP? Who or what are we laughing at?
posted by ozomatli at 12:21 PM on April 17, 2008


Gosh. You people have no pride in your breakfast choices.

Cereal is my hot hot sex.
posted by cowbellemoo at 12:23 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I guess I don't understand why its funny when hip-hop clothing has the trix rabbit on it , but was edgy for a hipster to wear a retro tee with the same thing.

Both scenarios are equally laughable.
posted by bondcliff at 12:25 PM on April 17, 2008


What was the point of the OP? Who or what are we laughing at?

Me, I'm laughing at the guy who wants me to follow a toucan's nose into his ass.
posted by gurple at 12:26 PM on April 17, 2008


Why?
posted by ozomatli at 12:26 PM on April 17, 2008


I sincerely and unironically love my Trix Rabbit baby tee.

But I also own Captain Crunch and Charlie Tuna animation cels, Frankenberry and Count Chocula Rubriks and have lectured on the use of characters to depict brand, so it hasn't nothing to do with my street cred.
posted by Gucky at 12:27 PM on April 17, 2008


Why?
posted by ozomatli at 2:26 PM on April 17 [+] [!]


This was with respect to bondcliff
posted by ozomatli at 12:28 PM on April 17, 2008


I don't quite appreciate what you're implying but you, sir, are the only one making a judgment call on the merits of the clothing.

No, I think several commenters in this thread have made judgment calls on the (crappy) merits of the clothing, only to be dismissed as quasi-racists by you with glib retorts like:

HAW HAW

Black people sure are different.

posted by Atom Eyes at 12:32 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


L.L. had this cornered 18 years ago.

So we went to be alone
But we had to be quiet, cause her Corn Pops was home
Kissed her neck, kissed her back, kissed her arms
I said, "Forget it, let me see your :ucky Charms"
When we began her hairstyle was neat
But when I left the next morning it looked like Shredded Wheat
Talked about marriage, I said, "That's risky
Besides, it's such a waste of Rice Crispies"
She had a robe with the velour material
Her pops woke up, I said, "Hello Mr. Cereal
I came this morning to deliver the paper"
He said, "Stop frontin, I know you caught the vapors.
That's my daughter, so save your croonin.
You better find another bowl of cereal to stick your spoon in."


- "Milky Cereal" from Mama Said Knock You Out (1990).
posted by grabbingsand at 12:32 PM on April 17, 2008 [3 favorites]


I figure Kellogg stumbled onto the intelligence that there's been a thriving black market in the ghetto for pirated images of their characters recast as drug slinging, automatic weapons wielding drug kingpins for years now and are trying to cash in on those associations.

I cannot understand how hoodies got to be priced at $75+ dollars. Can somebody explain how this is?

BAPE.
posted by The Straightener at 12:32 PM on April 17, 2008


What was the point of the OP? Who or what are we laughing at?
posted by ozomatli at 2:21 PM on April 17 [+] [!]


The point of the post? I thought it was interesting on many levels--from the techniques of Kellogg's marketers, to the design of the clothing, to the corporate perversion of subcultures, etc., etc. Personally, I'm not necessarily laughing at anything (although I couldn't resist a turn of phrase with the post title).

However, I do agree with your assertion that there may be something of a culture gap here on the Blue. I found it quite surprising that you mention you've seen black college students wearing this (or very similar) clothing. In my racially mixed neighborhood, I've rarely seen kids wearing this style of clothing, although that could have more to do with economic factors than anything else. I have seen, however, seen many white people were similarly designed clothing inspired by NASCAR. Perhaps the cultural gap is widening in both directions. I don't know...
posted by slogger at 12:33 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I personally like my double bubble and blow pop ball caps I own. I think they give me street cred. Nothing says street like "I bought my clothes at Wal-Mart." Okay, so that actually says redneck.
posted by robtf3 at 12:37 PM on April 17, 2008


My apologies. Apparently, I'm captain redundant.
posted by robtf3 at 12:39 PM on April 17, 2008


ucky Charms

I prefer Uffie Charms.
posted by cashman at 12:39 PM on April 17, 2008


slogger,

I was not trying to impune your OP, I was genuinely curious about the point myself. Your post title did lead me to think in a particular direction.

There really is a culture gap going on in the blue. I work at a local high school that is 90+% black and shirts and hoodies very similar to the ones posted can be seen everyday in every class. The kids that wear them are not thugs or trying to be street, its simply the fashion. The bold design and color use are what make them attractive.

I also think there is a certain amount of consumer/class elitism here at play too.
posted by ozomatli at 12:45 PM on April 17, 2008 [2 favorites]


I think that, while you may have a point about elitism or even nascent racism, it's preventing you from seeing that a) there are ways in which this ad campaign is legitimately ridiculous and funny, and b) it's OK to laugh at those things.

You MeFiMail everyone who's posted in this thread just to make sure -- SURE! -- that they were laughing for approved reasons. Perhaps we could all agree to some kind of polygraph analysis.
posted by gurple at 12:49 PM on April 17, 2008


Why?
posted by ozomatli at 2:26 PM on April 17 [+] [!]


Probably because I’m, well, what’s the opposite of cool? My first thought upon reading the first line of Grabbingsand’s post was “Bean?”

Also, I have a hard enough time understanding why people pay extra for over sized logos of clothing companies on their clothes. The thought of paying anything for over sized food company (or computer company for that matter) logos, Ironically or not, is just, silly to my unhip (whatever the hell "hip" means these days) brain. Though I’ll happily wear a Fruit Loops t-shirt if a Fruit Loops rep gives me one for free because, hey, free shirt!

I suppose it’s not much different than paying for t-shirts with My Favorite Band’s name on them but somehow I have a hard time believing anyone can be moved by Corn Flakes the way they might be moved by their favorite band.

I'll admit I find the concept of fashion in general to be hard to grasp so one should probably ignore anything I have to say on the subject.
posted by bondcliff at 12:56 PM on April 17, 2008


good points on both sides ppl!

debate aside, fpp is definitely best of web material in my book
posted by [son] QUAALUDE at 12:57 PM on April 17, 2008


Dude, laugh at what you want; I don't care. I can't and wouldn't stop you.

I made the point I wanted to, perhaps in too strident a tone in the beginning and that's the end of it. I'm not on some crusade here.
posted by ozomatli at 12:58 PM on April 17, 2008


bondcliff,

I think it has little to do with cool than what you prefer. Different strokes for different folks they say. I always find it interesting to find out why certain people dislike certain fashions.
posted by ozomatli at 1:02 PM on April 17, 2008


If I may, in a completely non-confrontational and unsnarky manner (with no offense to any person or group), offer this classical (albeit, obvious) example of "brand appropriation" within so-called "urban culture" that mefites may be familiar with:

Calvin Brodeus, aka Snoop Dogg


background post (as provided by myself)
posted by [son] QUAALUDE at 1:04 PM on April 17, 2008


err... should be Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr.
posted by [son] QUAALUDE at 1:05 PM on April 17, 2008


I want a Mefi bowl of beans jacket or hoodie, sold by Matt, for like $125. Proceeds to charity, of course. We just need an ill design.
posted by cashman at 1:17 PM on April 17, 2008


cashman : $110? I cannot understand how hoodies got to be priced at $75+ dollars.

No shit. I ended up with a really nice hoodie a few years ago from a skate/ hipster type shop that one day a year marked everything down 50%, I got it for about $40, and was really impressed with how thick it was, and how well it held up.

Eventually, I wanted to replace it, and looking around, I found that anything that was even remotely as heavy was absurdly expensive.

Then my genius wife suggested I try the local farm supply shop. It honestly never occurred to me that hooded sweatshirts would probably be really useful to a certain group of people who have to get up early, and work outside in all kinds of weather.

My current super-heavy duty, damn near indestructible black hoodie cost me $22 dollars. It and a basic leather jacket got me through one of the worst winters I've seen in years. Damn well spent money, if you ask me.
posted by quin at 1:32 PM on April 17, 2008


And how is Froot Loops merchandise has not been co-opted by gay culture?

If I were gay, I'd so lay claim to that shit. Alas, being a boring straight guy, I don't think I could pull it off.

*sulks*
posted by quin at 1:40 PM on April 17, 2008


I'm not so much surprised that stuff like this gets made; it reminds me of all the ads I used to see for LOT29 clothing, which seems to primarily manufacture "Urban" gear festooned with Warner Bros. cartoons on them .

I'm more surprised at the idea that anyone actually wears them.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 1:49 PM on April 17, 2008


quin, I got my hoodie for a fishing supply store. They had a back catalogue of snowboarder sweaters, I got a fake-fur lined zip up hoodie for $22.
posted by joelf at 1:51 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


Until I found metafilter, I used to never slow down to look at accidents.

Have marketing and advertising people lost all sense of decency, no moral ground, see no lines they can't cross?


{goes back to designing Chevron green-washing ad}
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:58 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


Should go great with these shoes

I occasionally worked in the "streetwear" industry and can confirm that yes, they're out of ideas. This is the last gasp of a dying trend. The kids in the hood, the ones who actually come up with the styles that the mainstream will be aping a few years from now, have picked up skateboards and are running around in pegged levis and spiked belts.
posted by billyfleetwood at 2:06 PM on April 17, 2008


I know what some MeFier's future Secret Santa give is!!!!
posted by spec80 at 2:50 PM on April 17, 2008


quin, growing up in the Northeast, I knew Carhartt as clothes that hardcore punks wore way before I knew it as a preferred brand of farm workers.
posted by jtron at 3:04 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I want a Mefi bowl of beans jacket or hoodie, sold by Matt, for like $125.

You forgot the sweatpants!
posted by lukemeister at 4:28 PM on April 17, 2008


I like my Froot Loops with grape drink.
posted by Tube at 4:30 PM on April 17, 2008


I can only hope that the next line of apparel from Under the Hood features these cartoon characters.
posted by lukemeister at 6:25 PM on April 17, 2008


cashman writes "$110? I cannot understand how hoodies got to be priced at $75+ dollars. Can somebody explain how this is?"

I can't understand why someone would want to pay over $100 to advertise breakfast cereal.
posted by krinklyfig at 7:02 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


slogger nails it

I grew up in the DC Public School system, and when it comes to the hard working lower-middle class people of the mid-atlantic & southeastern US, White : Black :: NASCAR : Looney Tunes.

It's a direct gloss. They're even usually the exact same jackets underneath the giant CNC embroidery.
posted by blasdelf at 10:54 PM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I'm really hoping that this thread won't go by without us making some sense of the issues here.

Lest this point be lost, I believe that what ozomatli has been trying to say is that these ads are effectively reaching their audience. This is authentic urban style, not lame corporate posing.

I think a lot of people find this funny because they think they're seeing a collision of very disparate elements. In fact, this is not the case.

Hence, it's true: there's a culture gap on mefi. This is not a sin, so let's not get all defensive about it. The point of this enterprise is discourse and learning, right?
posted by flotson at 11:08 PM on April 17, 2008 [2 favorites]


Some of the comments here would suggest:

White hipsters wearing corporate logos in the late 90s: ironic.

Black hipsters wearing corporate logos in the late oughts: silly.

Niche market nostalgia: touching.

Mass-market nostalgia: repulsive.

That a "LOLCAT white privilege" thread is nearby is so meta, so circumlocutory, it feels like a mental short circuit.
posted by noway at 7:18 AM on April 18, 2008


This is authentic urban style, not lame corporate posing.

Can't it be both? Whenever I see someone decked out in huge logos, I think of some rich asshole laughing his way to the bank.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 9:01 AM on April 18, 2008


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