Are old product advertisements burned into your mind the way they are into mine? I randomly recall several every day. This morning, it was Keebler Suncheros. In fact, that one is on medium rotation. I hope someday that I will be able to access my brain as if it were a Linux drive mount so that I can delete a few things that I do not need.

Burger Chef

Like Suncheros, many of the brands and products that I recall have been discontinued. Often, they make me feel nostalgic. The other day I randomly recalled Burger Chef. Burger Chef was a 70’s franchise that competed with McDonald’s. Their mascots were Burger Chef and Jeff. They invented the kid’s meal and called it the Funmeal. Their prizes were second to none. As a kid, I remember getting a spooky Halloween record with a count and a Frankenstein’s monsters type. They even had Star Wars posters.

My parents did not take us out for fast food often. I remember Burger Chef as a treat. We would eat at the restaurant and talk about the stuff on the Funmeal box. It was one of the few times I actually got along with my brother.

Burger Chef had some quirky branding issues. They were Burger Chef, but their sandwiches were all spelled Shef. They eventually were sold to Hardee’s. One of their tags lines was Incrediburgible!

Fruitibix

Weetabix cereal used to have a smalled, crunchy, dried fruit infused cousin called Fruitibix. In the UK, these have been relaunched as Weetabix Minis, but they do not seem to have made their way to the US yet. Fruitbix had dried dates and Bananabix was made with pickles. They had a unique flavor. Each piece was round and about the side of a mini-wheat. They had a slight crystal-sugary layer and each piece had at least one dried fruit. They stayed crispy in milk, but were delicious when they absorbed a little milk. Alas, now they’re gone in the US. Apparently they were the masses found them both offensive and dreadful because I could not find a single picture of them in Google images.

Discuss

I kicked off the discussion with two obscure brands, but yours do not have to be. It can be something nostalgic, useful or silly. My kids were watching Ratatouille on a car trip. My favorite scene is the one where Anton Ego, the critic, eats the ratatouille and instantly vividly recalls being a little boy. Thinking about Burger Chef did that for me. (Is that sad?)

What brands and products that have been discontinued do you miss?
Why do you miss them?
Is there an alternative?