Quaker Oats Mascot Loses His Double Chin

Larry, the Quaker Oats mascot who has graced the box of oatmeal you've stared at for decades, is magically losing what many wish they could erase in old age: his double chin. Yes, a skinnier, younger-looking Quaker now graces the brand's products, part of a makeover designed to better reflect its many healthy offerings. And like all good face jobs, the goal was to make it not look like one, so the firm behind the changes said it kept the tweaks small: You'll now catch a glimpse of Larry's shoulders (making him seem strong, of course); he's gotten a haircut, which does wonders for his neck; and that plumpness and, of course, the double chin, are no more.

"We took about five pounds off him," says the firm's VP. And while Larry seems more sprightly, Quaker didn't want him to seem too young, so those crow's feet are still present, reports the Wall Street Journal . The color red was made more important, and "Est 1877" has been added to drive home the brand's longevity. But really, notes the VP, the "goal is not to have anyone notice that he is different." (More Quaker Oats stories.)