 Marky Maypo - In 1956, the Fletcher, Richards,
Calkins & Holden Advertising Agency created a successful Maypo ad campaign
entitled "Marky Maypo" about the frustrations of a father trying to get his
young son Marky (who was dressed in a cowboy costume) to eat a new
maple-flavored oatmeal breakfast food called Maypo. After a few tries to get his
son to eat Maypo the father said "Tell you what, I'll be an airplane, you be the
hangar. Open the doors, here it comes (Whrrrrrrrr!) loaded with delicious (Whrrrrrrr!)
maple-flavored (Whrrrrrrr!) Maypo!" Just as the spoon reaches the boy's mouth,
he snaps it shut. Frustrated, the father accidentally puts the spoonful of Maypo
in his mouth, and immediately his young son cried "I want my MAYPO!" Marky Maypo
made his debut on New York and New England television stations in September 1956.
In 1958, the Brian & Houston ad agency made a follow-up commercial where Marky was robbed
of his cowboy hat and his favorite cereal by his Uncle Ralphie. In frustration,
he wailed "I want my Maypo!"
A sequel commercial entitled "Marky's Horse," had
the little cowboy jump onto the snoring pot belly of Uncle Ralphie. Marky then
rode his uncle's tummy like a bronco until he got some Maypo.
The voice of Marky was provided by Mark Hubley, the four-year-old son of John and Faith Hubley, the
animators of these now classic B/W commercial spots. John Hubley
contributed to the "flat" UPA animation style used on such cartoons as "Mister
Magoo." In 1951, Hubley worked on the Academy Award animated short Gerald McBoing
Boing.
The Maypo Company recruited popular sports figures for their INSTANT
MAYPO CEREAL. The ad spots featured Gil Hodges who orders Tom Seaver to go in
and pitch and he cries "I want my Maypo"; as well as Mickey Mantle , too,. who cries "I want my Maypo!"
TRIVIA NOTE: The Maypo Cereal brand was
developed in 1953 by the Maltex Corporation in Burlington, Vermont. Over the
years, the brand has been purchased or associated with a variety of companies: Hueblein, Inc in 1956, the Uhlmann Company in the1960s, American Home Foods in
1988, International Home Foods in 1996, ConAgra in 2000, and Homestat Farms, Ltd
in 2001 (the current owners).
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