Buzz
Mention the phrase 'Mikey likes it' to anyone born between 40 and 100 years ago, and you're likely to evoke memories of a hugely popular 1970s commercial with a sweet-faced toddler devouring Life cereal.
Interestingly, the now-famous slogan was never actually spoken in the original 1972 ad. Instead, it was born from a blend of the ad’s actual dialogue, which featured actor John Gilchrist, who was just under 4 years old at the time, playing Mikey.
In the commercial, Mikey's two real-life brothers, Michael and Tommy, push a bowl of the mysterious, supposedly healthy cereal towards him, saying, 'Give it to Mikey. He won’t eat it. He hates everything.' When Mikey eagerly digs in, the more expressive of the two brothers joyfully shouts, 'He likes it! Hey Mikey!' before the announcer delivers the line, 'When you bring Life home, don’t tell the kids it’s one of those nutritional cereals you’ve been trying to get them to eat. You’re the only one who has to know.'
Debuting in 1961, Life—a brown, checkered, square-shaped cereal created by Quaker Oats and primarily made from oats, corn, whole wheat flour, and a touch of sugar—wasn't the first breakfast cereal. That honor belonged to cereals introduced in the 1860s, when health enthusiasts advocated for bland bran, oats, and corn flakes. However, Life, marketed as offering 'the most useful protein ever in a ready-to-eat cereal,' played a significant role in the growing trend of convenience food, joining cereals like Sugar Smacks and Cocoa Puffs, which made their entrance in the 50s and 60s. Furthermore, the lasting influence of the 'Mikey Likes It' slogan would go far beyond the cereal aisle and into pop culture.
The Origin of 'Mikey.'
Initially, Life's mascots were small, whimsical figures who praised the merits of 'the good oat cereal,' which boasted 'tiny bite-sized pieces of shredded oats with sugar crystals locked inside.' But in the early '70s, Quaker Oats, collaborating with the advertising agency Doyle, Dane, and Bernbach, introduced the 'Little Mikey' commercial. This campaign, running from 1972 to 1986, became one of the longest-running TV advertisements of its time. Mikey's repeated appearances, devouring spoonful after spoonful, helped make Gilchrist's face one of the most recognized on television during that era.
Gilchrist, along with his six siblings, starred in around 600 commercials throughout their youth—John himself featured in approximately 150 ads, and the 'Mikey' commercial was one of his earliest. However, it was this particular Life ad that truly skyrocketed in popularity. Gilchrist’s parents were protective of their children’s privacy, refusing press interviews, which contributed to the emergence of numerous urban myths about Mikey. In the 1970s, a particularly bizarre rumor circulated that Mikey had passed away from a stomach rupture after consuming Pop Rocks candy and soda together. While the combination wouldn't even cause more than a minor discomfort, the rumor spread so widely that it began to negatively impact sales of Pop Rocks candy.
In 1979, Gilchrist's mother received a condolence call from a stranger expressing sympathy for the loss of her son. Reportedly, she responded with, 'He just came home from school.' General Foods, the company behind Pop Rocks at the time, reached out to Gilchrist's parents with an offer for him to appear in a commercial to debunk the myth, but they declined. Although Gilchrist was still under contract with Life, the cereal company threatened to cancel the deal if he participated in the Pop Rocks ad.
Although General Foods stopped producing Pop Rocks in 1982, the myths surrounding the candy’s alleged danger continued for years. Pop Rocks have since made a return to store shelves, should you be feeling adventurous enough to tempt fate (which, by the way, is entirely imaginary).
As for Gilchrist, he remains very much alive and continues to enjoy life in New York. He leveraged his early fame from commercials into a successful career in advertising sales, starting in radio, then moving to ESPN, and currently working at MSG Networks, where he has been the director of media sales since 2011.
