Apparently, having a giant parrot toucan stare you dead in the eyes will make you want to eat Froot Loops. A new study by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab evaluated brand mascots like Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam plastered on the front of cereal boxes. They found that these friendly characters are designed to make direct eye contact with kids -- the brands' target market.

It's common knowledge that grocery stores strategically place products to increase the likelihood of engagement -- candy and tabloids are situated near the cashier; children's cereal are found on the bottom two shelves, while adult cereals are placed higher.

However, Cornell researchers found that a majority of cartoon mascots on children's cereal boxes are designed to look downward at an average angle of 10 degrees. On adult cereals, the mascots gaze straight ahead. So why the disparity? Studies note that brand loyalty and interaction with a product increase when eye contact is established. In preliminary tests, subjects were shown one of two boxes of Trix: one where the rabbit looked directly at them and one where it looked down. The adults in the study reported higher brand trust in the gaze that looked straight ahead.

“If you are a parent who does not want your kids to go ‘cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs,’ avoid taking them down the cereal aisle,” says  Brian Wansink, one of Cornell's researchers. As for those healthy cereal brands trying to convince kids that wheat bran is just as good as tiny marshmallows shaped like clovers? "If you are a cereal company looking to market healthy cereals to kids, use spokes-characters that make eye contact with children to create brand loyalty," Wansink advises.

H/T Quartz, Picthx Thomas Hawk