An odd yo-yo release that featured dual branding on both the card and the yo-yo. Based on this original Duncan Imperial No. 400 from about 1963, it suggests that the Duncan/Cheerio card used in this exhibit is from around the same time period. Note also that the Duncan/Cheerio card used identical printing on both sides. The yo-yo itself was hot-stamped on one side with Duncan Imperial Cheerio; no Fleur-de-lis in the design.
It is not clear why this yo-yo was released this way. Duncan bought out Cheerio yo-yos in 1954. At that time, the Duncan company liquidated all remaining original Cheerio stock. The discontinuation of Cheerio yo-yos was primarily due to Duncan’s strategic business decisions. After acquiring the Cheerio brand in 1954, Duncan continued to produce Cheerio yo-yos until around 1963, but did not actively promote them. This strategy let Duncan focus on its own branded yo-yos, which were more popular and profitable.
Additionally, the yo-yo trademark case in the U.S. and Canada played a role. The term "yo-yo" became so generic that it lost its distinctiveness as a trademark, impacting the branding and marketing strategies for companies like Cheerio.
Perhaps the yo-yo in this exhibit was one of the last Duncan/Cheerio releases in 1963 before the Cheerio brand was permanently sunset.
