Canadian Cracker Jack - Canadian Prizes

For a time in the late 1990's, after Borden sold its Cracker Jack business to Frito-Lay, Cracker Jack was not available in Canada until the new owner developed its own distribution plan. But Cracker Jack re-appeared in Ontario in a 75 gram bag in November 1999 in a limited test market; and by late January/early February, it was again being distribured nationally. A 50 gram bag was also launched in early February. So Canadians have once again joined in on the munching and the collecting. What's more, they can lay claim to the first Cracker Jack prizes distributed with a 2000 date!*

The 75 gram bag of Canadian Cracker Jack looks much the same as an American Cracker Jack bag, except that descriptions, contents, and other information on the front and back are written in both English and French.

Details from front of bag.
The trademark for The Hostess Frito-Lay Company, "authorized user," is on the back, but the bag indicates that the product is "Made in the U.S.A." There is no indication as to where the product is packaged.

Some of the prizes found in the Canadian bags have been exactly the same as those found in the United States, such as Funny Flippers and Nutty Adventure Courses. But others are Canadian versions of American prizes with changes, including the front covers, to accommodate both the English- and French-speaking Canadian markets, such as Flip-On Stick-Ons, Yo-Yo Spinners, Pic-Sticks, Frame-Ups, and biligual versions of Nutty Adventure Courses. According to Cracker Jack collector Alan Ludwig, there are some unique Flip-On Stick-Ons and Frame-Ups, completely different from those released in the United States.

A Frame-Up sticker from mid-February 2000 serves as a good example for comparing the American and Canadian versions of the prize. The American version of the Space Case has "Space Case" written across the front of the alien's shirt, but the words have been colored out on the Canadian variation. The original prize just had "Sticker!" written across the back of the prize, along with the prize number, but the Canadian one has "Autocollant!" added under "Sticker!" The prize number is the same for both prizes, 99085a.

The inside cover of the Canadian prize does not say that the Frame-Up is a "Space Case," but the identification and instructions are given in both French and English. And a 2000 date appears at the bottom of the instructions, whereas the American version is dated 1999.

If a prize's instructions are considered part of the prize, then this means that the first Cracker Jack prizes ever distributed with the new millennium date are Canadian prizes. Although lenticular pogs released in the United States in January 2000 have a code that indicates they are from 2000, this date does not appear on them.

The backings of the American and Canadian prizes are also different. The American version has a joke on the back and a funny fact about a mayfly on the inside of the backing. The Canadian prize has a funny fact about kangaroo rats on the back, and the same kangaroo rat funny fact in French is on the inside. Both sides of the American prize backing give the web site address for Cracker Jack; neither side of the Candian version has the address.

     
Thanks to Canadian friends Jackie and Don Petre
of Fenelon Falls, Ontario, for the Canadian bags and prizes.

*Though the first new prizes of 2000 were a series of lenticular pogs distributed in January in the United States (with prize number coding indicating they are 2000 prizes), they do not have an actual "2000" date on them.