Life
Introduced in 1961
- In 1972, a Life Cereal commercial first aired starring a finicky young eater named Mikey. Featuring the lines "I'm not gonna try it - you try it. Let's get Mikey... he hates everything," the ads ran for several years and became one of longest continuously running commercial campaigns in television history.
When Life Cereal was introduced in 1961, a magazine ad described the cereal like this:
Now from oats... natures richest protein grain... Quaker brings you Life. Kids love the delicate sweetness that the sugar crystals inside Life add to its great toasty, oats taste.
Mothers love the protein build-up Life gives (and the way kids eat it up).
Everybody loves Life's special protein - useful protein - the same quality of protein you get in meat and milk!
You'll love Life!
The original slogan for Life Cereal was "Life has the most useful protein - ever in a ready-to-eat cereal!"
An early television ad for cereal described it as "the good oat cereal - tiny bite sized pieces of shredded oats with sugar crystals locked inside."
Click here to see all cereals from Quaker.
This cereal belongs to the following Mr Breakfast Cereal Families:
The Life Cereal Family
Featuring:
Useful Proteins
The Useful Proteins (pronounced in the 50's as "Pro-tee-ins") were cute little blob characters with hats and little hearts on their hips.
One ad mentioned that "Some proteins are 'lazy'. Some proteins are 'hard working'. Life gives you 'working protein'."
They may have been hard working off the page and screen, but most depictions had them dancing, playing tennis and generally goofing around.
The Useful Proteins (pronounced in the 50's as "Pro-tee-ins") were cute little blob characters with hats and little hearts on their hips.
One ad mentioned that "Some proteins are 'lazy'. Some proteins are 'hard working'. Life gives you 'working protein'."
They may have been hard working off the page and screen, but most depictions had them dancing, playing tennis and generally goofing around.
Life Cereal Theater
Now Showing: 1972 Mikey Likes It Life Cereal Ad
Additional Images
These are the most recent images. Click here to see all pictures for Life.
Quaker - Life - Remember Me, Mikey - Life Magazine
Submitter: malcolmw
Uploaded: 6/29/2019
Additional details
There's More Pictures! See all images for Life cereal
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Comments About This Cereal
What do you think of Life?
Overall Average Rating = 4 (out of 5)
View all 36 comments for this cereal.
By Karl
Their agenda driven (now Mikey is a girl) ad is just sickening. Every time they play it all I can see is the real Mikey with his little hands over his eyes, crying. I hope it backfires on them. They need to get a new advertising agent and fire the liberal idiots who care more about their agenda than they do about the product.
Comment submitted: 5/12/2020 (#25156)
By Postman
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): |  |
I noticed on the box that the Quaker man is not on the front anymore. He is also missing from Cap'n Crunch cereals. He is so iconic with this brand. Put him back on.
Comment submitted: 9/27/2019 (#24557)
By DanB
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
I agree with MarkCaplan's comment. I don't see how they can get away with calling the current product 'Original' when I know it hardly tastes like the distinctive all-oats original I loved in the late 60's and early 70's. I also try to avoid wheat when I can, and they've polluted my once favorite cereal with wheat and other grains so I can't eat it as often as I'd like to. Waaah!
Comment submitted: 6/18/2018 (#23154)
By Postman
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
Life is the bomb. Love it.
Comment submitted: 10/5/2017 (#22310)
By nebby
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
I don't eat this like cereal but I love to eat it like how people eat popcorn or chips. Very sweet! Good stuff.
Comment submitted: 3/6/2017 (#21450)
By NostalgiaL
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
Has to be eaten in small quantities and quickly due to turning soggy before the spoon hits the bottom of the bowl BUT still very delicious... glad it hasn't changed!
Comment submitted: 3/27/2016 (#20119)
By Old Wolf
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
I became a lover of Life when it was first introduced in 1961. It had a wonderful texture and a completely different flavor. Over the years, the formula has been modified slightly; the 1998 reformulation prompted a storm of protest, in which I took part - and they went back to the previous iteration. But I wish they had kept the very first formula... it was absolutely wonderful. I'm still a big fan, and it's almost the only cereal I'll eat.
Comment submitted: 2/2/2015 (#18470)
By CerealSavage (Team Breakfast Member)| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
I absolutely love Life cereal. It has such a unique flavor, and tastes great dry or paired with milk.
Comment submitted: 10/1/2014 (#17753)
By MichiganMom
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
Life cereal is not as nutritious as marketed. Why would I give my kids Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, BHT, and more than 2-1/2 teaspoons of sugar in their cup of cereal? I'll stick to quality brands.
Comment submitted: 8/3/2014 (#17453)
By cerealfiend
| Cereal Rating (out of 5): | |
This cereal is my childhood in a box. After 20+ years, I still enjoy the odd box every now and then. Sometimes I eat it straight out of the box, but I especially love the texture after it steeps in my milk for a bit. My preferred method of carbo-loading before races. :)
Comment submitted: 4/17/2014 (#16956)
View all 36 comments for this cereal.
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