I chose a box of Raisin Bran Post cereal because that is my favorite cereal. Don’t laugh. The box is purple, there’s a bowl of the raisin bran in a purple bowl on the cover next to a small box of Sun Maid raisins and a bunch of raisins sitting next to the bowl of cereal. On top of the name of the cereal there is a little design of a sun which is probably due to raisins being sun dried grapes and that’s also most likely why the box is purple. The back of the box shows the cereal being poured into the bowl with milk splashing and is basically describing the vitamins, minerals and health benefits.

                In 1895 C.W. Post made his first batch of ‘Postum’ which was a cereal beverage. In 1897 they introduced the Grape Nuts cereal. Then in 1914 Marjorie Merriweather takes over the Postum company and renamed it General Foods. This cereal was made for people who have digestive issues and need more fiber in their diet. It’s also commonly known as a cereal that is more popular among older people because it is supposedly healthier due to the whole grains and raisins.

                The box is pretty simple and mainly focuses on the health benefits of the cereal. It’s not fun and colorful like cereals that are marketed to children. From the simple design you can tell this is a cereal for adults although its probably best if children were to eat this instead of Captain Crunch. My daughter also likes Raisin Bran. The cereal itself is just bran flakes and raisins with no special shapes or colors. Another thing is the cereal is rich with vitamins and minerals which is the main focus on the box as well. So this cereal is clearly marketed as a healthy cereal mainly for adults, people with heart or digestive problems and also elderly people.

                I used to work in sales and marketing in multiple arenas, so I have always analyzed subliminal details in products or commercials because it’s interesting to me. So even something like a box of cereal connects to the concept of rhetorical analysis because it is still a product that the company intends on selling. In order to sell the product, they need to market the product to the intended audience to maximize those sales. It’s not simply that this cereal is “healthy” because adults and people with health issues could opt for healthier alternatives to cereal altogether by eating fruits and veggies or oatmeal. They want the consumer to choose their cereal and they want to make a profit off the cereal so they advertise the box as being a healthy choice. Although there are much more healthier foods than cereal and one might say to ditch cereal altogether if you’re trying to be healthier, but the box has to be designed in a way that makes you add it to your grocery cart.