Totem Pole - Kelloggs Corn Flakes mask (1950s) - cutout (Canada)

This striking Totem Pole mask comes from a Canadian-exclusive Kellogg’s Corn Flakes promotion during the 1950s. Unlike the more familiar “False Faces” or “3D Series” characters issued in the U.S., this design was tailored for the Canadian market and printed directly onto the back of cereal boxes. Children were encouraged to cut them out and wear them, which means very few examples survived intact.

The bold, geometric design — with vivid orange, green, and black shapes forming a stylized face — was part of a set celebrating playful interpretations of totem imagery, reflecting Kellogg’s marketing experiments in different regions. Because of its limited distribution and fragile cutout format, surviving examples are significantly rarer than most U.S. cereal masks.

Maker: Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (Canada)

Year: Early–mid 1950s

Format: Cereal box cutout mask

Character: Totem Pole (stylized face design)

Size: Approx. 7 x 9 inches

Condition: Vintage cutout; shows normal wear from age and handling but remains displayable with vibrant colors.