Corn Pops Actually Launched An Idaho Native To Fame & Fortune

This Idahoan's journey to stardom started with a bowl of cereal.

1999 was an awkward year for Corn Pops and Idaho native Aaron Paul. As Kellogg's was scrambling to rescue cereal sales, a young Paul was taking his first steps toward Hollywood stardom.

Meanwhile, us '90s kids, a.k.a. the elder millennials, were heaping sugary spoonfuls of puffed grains into our mouths for breakfast every morning, clueless about the power struggle between our favorite cereal brands on a mission to become top-bowl.

And what a missed opportunity that was. If only the cereal tycoons had had the foresight to let us in on it, they probably would've averted the crisis altogether. Corn Pops could've been one Pepsi vs. Coke marketing stunt away from the glory of eternal cereal supremacy.

"I gotta have my Pops!"

Determined to make a comeback, Kellogg's set out to reach the 90% of American kids and teens who started their day with cold cereal.

To pull it off, they needed to revitalize and solidify the Corn Pops brand that had shape-shifted multiple times since its creation the 1950s. So they started with a new slogan.

“I gotta have my pops!” was clear and catchy, but it wasn't enough. Kellogg's needed a brand ambassador its target demo could relate to. And they needed to find one fast.

ICYMI: Aaron Paul was the Corn Pops teen

Something tells us the breakfast gurus couldn't have imagined a young up-and-comer from Idaho would rescue the flailing Corn Pops brand. Yet that's exactly what happened.

Nearly 25 years later, Aaron Paul is a household name and the apple of Idaho's eye. From Corn Pops and cheesy teen movies to Breaking Bad and beyond, Paul's led a fascinating life and career. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Scroll for the inspiring evolution of Idaho's Aaron Paul in 60 pics. 

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