Cracker Jack replaces plastic toys

Like many people who buy Cracker Jacks, you might forgo popcorn and peanuts to dig down deep for the prize inside.

But going forward, you won't find a toy, PepsiCo's Frito Lay division announced last week.

The nearly 125-year-old product has opted to replace its Prize Inside with a surprise more worthy of the 21st century. From now on, Cracker Jack consumers will find a QR code inside the small prize that links to four mobile, baseball-themed games.

'The Cracker Jack Prize Inside has been as much a part of the nostalgia and love for the brand as the unforgettable combination of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts,” said Haston Lewis, senior director of marketing at Frito-Lay, in a news release. 'The new Prize Inside allows families to enjoy their favorite baseball moments through a new one-of-a-kind mobile experience, leveraging digital technology to bring the iconic Prize Inside to life.”

The 'mobile experiences” are games called 'Dot Dash,” 'Dance Cam,” 'Get Carded” and 'Baseball Star,” according to the release. They allow users to boogie on a simulated jumbotron, participate in their own dot race (a sixth inning tradition of the Texas Rangers) and create their own baseball cards and autographed photos to trade with friends and family.

First, prize holders must download the Blippar app to their smartphone or tablet.

In addition to the prize shake-up, Cracker Jack also will debut a 'contemporized” logo and packaging, according to the news release.

'We are a brand that authentically reminds people of simpler times, childhood memories and family experiences,” Lewis said. 'With this redesign and new mobile game experience, the Cracker Jack brand embraces a modernized, young-at-heart attitude while keeping that treasured feeling of childhood wistfulness.”