1915 magazine ad for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. Art by J. C. Leyendecker.
Leyendecker created a series of twenty children enjoying bowls of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes as part of a major advertising campaign in 1915-1917.
Leyendecker’s work for Kellogg’s is an interesting chapter in both advertising history and his own illustrious career. The campaign featured charming illustrations of children—often dubbed the “Kellogg’s Kids”—each enjoying a bowl of Corn Flakes. These images weren’t just cute; they were strategic.
At the time, Kellogg’s was pioneering the idea of long-running, themed advertising campaigns, and Leyendecker’s illustrations helped solidify the brand’s identity. His signature style—clean lines, expressive faces, and a touch of idealized Americana—made the ads instantly recognizable and emotionally resonant. The campaign leaned heavily into family values and morning convenience, targeting the growing middle class with themes of health, happiness, and domestic ease.
The campaign was a hit. It helped establish Kellogg’s as a household name and contributed to the company’s early dominance in the breakfast cereal market. Leyendecker’s work not only boosted sales but also helped define the visual language of early 20th-century advertising. His illustrations were so beloved that they were reused and referenced for years afterward.
[Sources: “1915 Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Magazine Ad” at peoplesgdarchive.org/item/16015/1915-kellogg-s-corn-flake...
and “J.C. Leyendecker in the Golden Age of Illustration” at the Huntsville Museum of Art (2008) at tfaoi.org/aa/8aa/8aa8.htm ]
1915 magazine ad for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. Art by J. C. Leyendecker.
Leyendecker created a series of twenty children enjoying bowls of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes as part of a major advertising campaign in 1915-1917.
Leyendecker’s work for Kellogg’s is an interesting chapter in both advertising history and his own illustrious career. The campaign featured charming illustrations of children—often dubbed the “Kellogg’s Kids”—each enjoying a bowl of Corn Flakes. These images weren’t just cute; they were strategic.
At the time, Kellogg’s was pioneering the idea of long-running, themed advertising campaigns, and Leyendecker’s illustrations helped solidify the brand’s identity. His signature style—clean lines, expressive faces, and a touch of idealized Americana—made the ads instantly recognizable and emotionally resonant. The campaign leaned heavily into family values and morning convenience, targeting the growing middle class with themes of health, happiness, and domestic ease.
The campaign was a hit. It helped establish Kellogg’s as a household name and contributed to the company’s early dominance in the breakfast cereal market. Leyendecker’s work not only boosted sales but also helped define the visual language of early 20th-century advertising. His illustrations were so beloved that they were reused and referenced for years afterward.
[Sources: “1915 Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Magazine Ad” at peoplesgdarchive.org/item/16015/1915-kellogg-s-corn-flake...
and “J.C. Leyendecker in the Golden Age of Illustration” at the Huntsville Museum of Art (2008) at tfaoi.org/aa/8aa/8aa8.htm ]