Kool-Aid Man Honored

After responding to children’s thirst-quenching requests for 25 years, Kool-Aid Man has received the ultimate honor. On Thursday, May 11, he eternalized his footprints in cement at a ceremony held at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. As the crowd shouted "Hey, Kool-Aid!", Kool-Aid man made his celebrated entrance by crashing through a wall and yelling "Oh Yeah!" just like in his famed TV commercials.

Kool-Aid Man proceeded to place his colossal feet -- 15-and-a-quarter inches long by 10-and-a-quarter inches wide -- into a slab of concrete. He posed for pictures with tourists and was honored with a certificate of congratulations by Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan.

Kool-Aid man made his debut in a 1975 TV commercial set in a bowling alley. In the commercial, a little girl turned to a boy and said: "Bowling sure makes me hot and thirsty." The boy responded:"This is a job for Kool-Aid!" The boy then yelled "Hey Kool-Aid!" Within seconds, the ground began to rumble as Kool-Aid man burst through the wall at the end of a bowling lane and shouted, "Oh Yeah!" He then proceeded to serve Kool-Aid to kids from a glass pitcher.

Though Kool-Aid has been around since the 1920s, Kool-Aid man was not born until 1975. He was an extension of the company’s already famous smile-faced pitcher. Originally dubbed "Pitcher Man," he first appeared with only a face and legs. Arms and a "rotoscoped" mouth provided the character with a dimension of animation.

Kool-Aid Man remains popular with both adults who grew up drinking the fruity beverage, as well as a new generation of children. With more than 26 gallons of Kool-Aid consumed every second during the summer, it continues to be one of America's favorite drinks and remains the beverage synonymous with childhood.

Edwin Perkins invented Kool-Aid soft drink mix in Hastings, Nebraska in 1927. The town of Hastings has been designated the Official Birthplace of Kool-Aid, and will honor Kool-Aid man with a giant birthday party on August 12, 2000. The footprints from the Mann's Chinese Theatre ceremony will be shipped to the Hastings Museum of Natural History and will be displayed alongside other exhibits dedicated to the heritage of the Kool-Aid brand.

Written by Zoy Avgerinos