SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Has the guy on the Quaker Oats box been doing Ashtanga yoga? The white-haired man with pink cheeks under a broad black Quaker hat is getting a makeover. Larry, as he is apparently known among ad men and women, is associated with heritage, trust, and quality by consumers. But after being an oatmeal cover boy for 134 years, PepsiCo, which now owns the Quaker brand, wants to refresh his image a bit to make the link between oatmeal and energy and healthy choices.
So Quaker's design firm has drawn a new Larry. He's lost about five pounds of oatmeal from his cheeks and chin, his Grateful Dead hair has been slightly trimmed to reveal a slimmer neck, and more of his sturdy shoulders.
But designers told The Wall Street Journal that they decided to keep some wrinkles of wisdom around Larry's eyes. They haven't made the Quaker on the oatmeal box into a Brazilian swimsuit model - yet.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: Nothing's better for thee than us. You're listening to NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.