Tony the Tiger
TonyTheTiger.jpg
Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. His catch phrase is "They’re Gr-r-reat!" More recently, Tony the Tiger has also become the mascot for Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers and Tiger Power. He was voiced by actor Thurl Ravenscroft until his death in 2005.
Tony originally appeared in 1952, designed by children's book illustrator Martin Provensen and voiced by Dallas McKennon. Thurl Ravenscroft later took over as Tony's voice and provided the characteristic deep bass voice that has been associated with Tony for decades. Provensen's original art design for the tiger was changed greatly over the years, as Tony changed from a whimsical little critter with a teardrop-shaped head to a sleek, muscular sports enthusiast.
Tony was once one of the four animal mascots for the cereal, because Kellogg's originally planned to have an animal for each letter of the alphabet, but Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant, and Newt the Gnu are no more. In the 1970s, he had a whole family, with a wife, Mrs. Tony; a son, Tony Jr.; and a daughter, Antoinette.
For sometime in the United Kingdom, the song Eyes Of The Tiger by Rock band Survivor was used in conjunction with Tony's commercials.