Force (cereal)

Force was a brand of breakfast cereal produced by the United States company Nabisco beginning in 1901. It was one of the first ready-to-eat cereals and was notable for its marketing campaign centered around a cartoon character named Sunny Jim. The cereal itself consisted of flaked wheat, malted barley, and salt, and was designed to be eaten with milk or cream.

The popularity of Force cereal peaked in the early 20th century, driven in large part by its innovative advertising. Sunny Jim, a formerly glum and unkempt character transformed into a cheerful and well-dressed individual by eating Force cereal, became a ubiquitous figure in print and billboard advertisements. These advertisements often featured rhyming slogans extolling the virtues of Force.

Despite its early success, Force cereal's popularity waned in the mid-20th century. Production was discontinued in the United States, although it continued to be produced in the United Kingdom for a period. Today, Force cereal is no longer widely available, and its historical significance lies primarily in its role as a pioneering example of ready-to-eat breakfast cereal and its influential advertising campaign. The brand is primarily remembered as a historical artifact of the early breakfast cereal industry.