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Meow Mix

Meow Mix is a popular variety of cat food made mostly from corn, and is well known for its popular advertising jingle.

The Meow Mix Company operates from a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) facility in Decatur, Alabama, and also produces Alley Cat brand cat food products. Originally a product of Ralston Purina, Meow Mix was divested for antitrust reasons in the early 2000s. The brand was acquired by Del Monte Foods in May, 2006. Their most famous slogan is, “Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name.”

The company was acquired by The Cypress Group, a New York based private equity firm in a $425 million leveraged buyout in 2003. Three years later, Del Monte Foods acquired the company for $705 million.^[1]^[2] Previously the company was also owned by J.W. Childs Associates which acquired the business in 2001 for $160 million.

Jingles

Meow Mix is also well known for a popular advertising jingle used to promote the product.

The jingle was written by Shelly Palmer in 1970. The lyrics were, "I want tuna, I want chicken, Meow Mix flavors keep me lickin." In commercials, it was typically meowed by a cat (often called "Fagit"), with English subtitles. Other versions of the song included, "I like chicken, I like liver, Meow Mix Meow Mix please deliver!" "So much talking, want more eating, meow meow meow meow please please feed me. or "Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meowwwwww" sung to the tune of the other jingles. These are also sung by cats meowing to the tune. Linda November was the performing artist.

A clock was manufactured in early 2000, featuring the jingle playing every hour.

Popular culture references

The jingle has become well known as part of American popular culture:

In The Simpsons episode “The Boy Who Knew Too Much”, Homer “sings” the jingle when Bart reads his thoughts in court.
In the near-final episode of TV sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch;, "Spellmanian Slip", when Harvey asks Salem if there's ever been a tune he can't get out of his head (referring to the "Harmony" mini-musical from earlier in the episode), he suggests the Meow Mix jingle, before sarcastically thanking him because "There it is again!".
In the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Dr Evil sings the jingle to try to lure his cat Mr Bigglesworth out of hiding. The lyrics were changed to “I want chicken, I want liver, Meow Mix, Meow Mix, please deliver.”
Christian rock band Relient K used these lyrics on their demo version of their song "I'm Lion-O", but not in the final version.
In episode 114 of Malcolm in the Middle from season 6 "Hal Sleepwaks", Malcolm plays and sings a song for his family that he wrote on guitar, after Lois insists he has no creative abilities. Dewey points out that the song follows the tune of the “Meow Mix” jingle, and the whole family starts to sing. His lyrics are: '"No one knows just what I've been through. I can't stop the pain inside me. Now I'm staring out my window, children play, they seem so happy. Why are we here, going nowhere? Why does my life feel so empty?"
Hip-hop group Board Bangers sampled the famous jingle in their song "Cause The Beat's Hot."
The Venetian Snares album Songs About My Cats included a sample of the jingle on one of the tracks.
The popular Mac vs PC parodies "Hi I'm a Marvel and I'm a DC" on YouTube has a running gag in which Batman apparently carries Meow Mix in one of his utility belt pouches, no reason has been given, When asked Batman simply answers "It's personal". Although it's theorized that Batman keeps it for Catwoman.

Meow Mix House

Meow Mix House was a reality TV show created by Meow Mix in the format of Survivor. Ten cats rescued from animal shelters nationwide (including the ASPCA in New York, Touched by an Animal in Chicago, and Kitten Rescue in Los Angeles) competed for a grand prize — an executive-level position with the Meow Mix Company. These three-minute reality TV segments aired on Animal Planet for ten consecutive weeks, beginning on June 16, 2006.

The cats were viewable full time via webcam and were adopted as they were voted off of the show, receiving a year’s supply of Meow Mix as a consolation prize. Weekly contest winners for areas such as “Best Purr” and “Greatest Post Climber” were decided by a panel of judges. Two winners were chosen — one through professional judges, and a second by TV viewers. The company stated that the winner received the title of Meow Mix’s “feline vice president of research,” as well as becoming part of a new family. A second corporate position was provided to the cat voted most popular by viewers.

Miami’s Cisco won the top prize of VP of R&D at Meow Mix, and Ellis from Portland won the title of viewers’ choice winner.

References

^ EQUITY FIRM BUYS CAT FOOD COMPANY FOR $425 MILLION. New York Times, October 15, 2003
^ Del Monte to Buy Meow Mix And Sell Some Food Units. New York Times, March 3, 2006

External links

[1] EQUITY FIRM BUYS CAT FOOD COMPANY FOR $425 MILLION. New York Times, October 15, 2003

[2] Del Monte to Buy Meow Mix And Sell Some Food Units. New York Times, March 3, 2006

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@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Meow Mix is also well known for a popular advertising jingle used to promote the product.
-The jingle was written by [[Shelly Palmer]] in 1970. The lyrics were, "I want tuna, I want chicken, Meow Mix flavors keep me lickin." In commercials, it was typically [[cat communication|meowed]] by a cat (often called "Mr.Meow"), with English subtitles. Other versions of the song included, "I like chicken, I like liver, Meow Mix Meow Mix please deliver!" "So much talking, want more eating, meow meow meow meow please please feed me. or "Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meowwwwww" sung to the tune of the other jingles. These are also sung by cats meowing to the tune.  Linda November was the performing artist.
+The jingle was written by [[Shelly Palmer]] in 1970. The lyrics were, "I want tuna, I want chicken, Meow Mix flavors keep me lickin." In commercials, it was typically [[cat communication|meowed]] by a cat (often called "Fagit"), with English subtitles. Other versions of the song included, "I like chicken, I like liver, Meow Mix Meow Mix please deliver!" "So much talking, want more eating, meow meow meow meow please please feed me. or "Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meowwwwww" sung to the tune of the other jingles. These are also sung by cats meowing to the tune.  Linda November was the performing artist.
 A clock was manufactured in early 2000, featuring the jingle playing every hour.