The Unique 1990s Lucky Charms Promotion That Sent Kids Real Trees

While we may not want our own children eating as much cereal as we did when we were their age, many of the sugary puffs or flakes we grew up with in the '90s are still around today. Cereal in the 1990s was difficult to resist thanks to the friendly mascots that pushed each one and the irresistible promotions, whether it was a free toy in the box or a mail-in prize that appeared in your mailbox later. One such promotion was a free tree sent to your home with the purchase of Lucky Charms cereal — yes, a real tree. In 1991, highlighting the effects of deforestation, a highly emotional ad depicts Lucky (the leprechaun mascot of the General Mills cereal) running away into the forest to hide his box of Lucky Charms from a group of kids. When he gets there, he finds all the trees have been cut down and animals are looking for shelter.

Lucky explains to the shocked kids how taking a tree without planting a new one leaves a lasting negative effect on the planet. He vows to help the kids correct the problem by sending them a small tree to plant. The mail-in campaign required two cut-out barcodes, or UPCs, as proof of purchase along with a small order form that was cut out from the Lucky Charms box. Weeks later, children received a Colorado blue spruce seedling, typically defined as a tree less than 3 feet tall, that they could plant in their yard. The promotion was a success, with unofficial sources purporting that the campaign led to the planting of over 6 million trees.

With such a successful campaign, some of those trees must be the size of an average Christmas tree by now. Of course, you should remember that each tree was addressed to a child, and children can be forgetful or easily distracted (I know I was). Sadly, it's possible many trees were planted and not cared for or, in some cases, not planted at all. Others may have been forced to move away from the home where the tree was planted. One success story comes from Reddit, where a woman shared a picture of her luscious, forest-green Lucky Charms tree standing tall behind her. Sadly, she also shared that she's selling the family home and leaving the tree behind. Perhaps that old saying about planting a tree for someone else to enjoy its shade is true. 

As adults, many of us turned away from sugary cereals, but cereal wasn't always a bad thing. It may be true that Lucky Charms is one of the biggest sugar offenders, eventually even selling just the marshmallows. But cereal also made it possible for kids to have breakfast before school even if their parents worked early. Sometimes it also helps us think back on the joys of Saturday morning cartoons and a bowl of cereal. The Lucky Charms tree promotion also shows some of the positive effects of that time. If begging your parents for a bright red box of Lucky Charms led to planting trees and fun childhood memories, then Lucky can't be all bad. And he's certainly better than the long-forgotten wizard that almost replaced him.