History
Celebrating 60 years of magical marshmallows with Lucky Charms!
Explore the delight of some of Lucky Charms’ top marshmallow moments.
Lucky Charms has been a breakfast staple for six decades with its beloved frosted oat pieces and magically delicious marshmallows. Over the years, the oat shaped pieces have remained the same, but the marshmallow charms — symbolic of Lucky’s magical powers — have evolved as he’s taken his mischievous tricks to new levels. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and explore the top 20 Lucky Charms marshmallow moments.
1964: Lucky's Debut
Lucky Charms made its debut with four magical marshmallow shapes: Green Clovers, Pink Hearts, Orange Stars and Yellow Moons. Accompanied by the charismatic Lucky the Leprechaun, this cereal captured the heart of breakfast lovers everywhere when its first Simply Charmin' television commercial aired on St. Patrick's Day in 1964.
1975: A Bright Blue Diamond
The addition of the Blue Diamond marshmallow was believed to mimic the 45.5-carat Hope Diamond, which was the biggest blue diamond at the time that supposedly carried a mysterious curse.
1983: The Speedy Horseshoe
The Purple Horseshoe marshmallow was the second charm introduced that remains today, granting Lucky the power to speed things up.
1989: Celebrating 25 Years with Red Balloons
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Lucky Charms welcomed the addition of the Red Balloon marshmallow, giving Lucky the power to make things float.
1991: Evergreen Trees Come Alive
Limited-edition tree-shaped marshmallows made their debut in 1991 to bring awareness to the environmental impact of deforestation. The mail-in promotion offered consumers a live tree, encouraging cereal fans to grow real seedlings.
1992: Rainbow Magic Unfolds
Following the appearance of rainbows on the box, it was only a matter of time before Rainbow marshmallows joined the Lucky Charms family, giving Lucky the power of teleportation.
1994: Discovering Pots 'O Gold
Of course, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but that wasn’t the only place you could find them. In 1994, Pot 'O Gold marshmallows added the power of illumination to Lucky’s magical charms.
1995: The Return of the Moon
After a brief hiatus in 1993, the beloved Moon marshmallow made a triumphant return alongside the rest of the brighter reimagined charms, delighting fans with its new vibrant blue hue and giving Lucky the power of invisibility.
1997: Lucky's Leprechaun Hat
Lucky's Hat marshmallows made their entrance, featuring a dark green clover adorning a light green hat shape, adding good luck to every spoonful.
1998: Shooting Star Takes Flight
The Shooting Star marshmallow is introduced, granting Lucky the power to fly and spark imaginations everywhere.
2002: Unlocking the Hidden Key
Adding milk to these limited-edition charms magically revealed a Hidden Key shape in the center of the marshmallows, unlocking a world of secret places for Lucky Charms fans.
2003: Double Luck with Two-Color Clovers
Clover marshmallows featured two colors for the first time, adding an extra dash of luck to every bowl. Their introduction was heralded with a special-edition metallic Lucky Charms box.
2006: Magical Crystal Ball
Magic Crystal Ball marshmallows helped Lucky escape the ‘Forest of Questions’ as they transformed with milk to reveal Yes (Y), No (N), or Unknown (?) answers to questions, bringing fun conversation to breakfast tables.
2008: Lucky Travels Through Time
A new dimension of adventure was unlocked when the Yellow Hourglass marshmallow was added granting Lucky the power to time travel.
2009: Tiny Magical Marshmallows
While all the shapes and colors remained the same, Lucky Charms shrunk the size of the marshmallows, adding more marshmallow magic to every bite.
2011: St. Paddy's Day Delight
Lucky introduced a special-edition St. Paddy's Day cereal where the marshmallows transformed into Green Clovers and Pots ‘O Gold, in celebration of the holiday.
2018: Magical Unicorn Friend
When Lucky won a race against his new unicorn friend, the Magical Unicorn marshmallow was added bringing color to Lucky’s world and cereal bowls alike.
2020: Just Magical Marshmallows
For the first time, Lucky Charms Just Magical Marshmallows were available for purchase in-store, allowing fans to indulge in their favorite marshmallows without the cereal.
2021: Journey to the Magic Gems
Magic Gem marshmallows granted the power of rainbow vision to see in the dark as fans played Lucky’s first augmented reality game, 'Journey to the Magic Gems,' encouraging families to get outside and explore the magic of the charms beyond the cereal bowl.
2023: Mini Magic
Lucky Charms Minis are released, featuring itty bitty mini cereal and magical marshmallows in all the beloved shapes and colors, adding more goodness to every spoonful.
2024: Lucky's Gone Missing
This year, for the first time, Lucky the Leprechaun has taken his mischievous tricks to the next level and used his magic to disappear from the Lucky Charms box. Fans have been asked to help catch him with the leprechaun traps on the back of the four limited-edition Lucky Charms boxes.
If you're craving more marshmallow moments, be sure to check out the History of Lucky Charms and join us in celebrating 60 years of magical memories with today’s catchy jingle: “Hearts, Stars and Horseshoes, Clovers and Blue Moons, Unicorns, Rainbows and Tasty Red Balloons!"
Follow Lucky Charms on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to stay up to date on Lucky the Leprechaun’s latest mischievous adventures.