Mr. T Cereal

Mr. T Cereal was a sweetened breakfast cereal manufactured by the Quaker Oats Company from 1984 to 1993.[1][2] The cereal was prepared with corn and oats as primary ingredients, and it was fortified with iron and B vitamins.[2] The cereal box had a cartoon likeness of Mr. T on the box as the cereal's mascot.[1][3] The cereal pieces were manufactured in the shape of the letter "T".[1] It has been described as being similar in flavor to Cap'n Crunch cereal.[1]

The front box cover of Mr. T Cereal

History and marketing

Mr. T Cereal debuted in 1984[4] and was a popular cereal in the U.S. during the 1980s.[1] The cereal was the first licensed ready-to-eat cereal manufactured and marketed by the Quaker Oats Company.[5]

Elements of marketing and advertising for Mr. T Cereal were geared toward children,[6] per the popularity of Mr. T's media appearances such as in The A-Team and Rocky III.[7] To appeal to children, the cereal was manufactured with a significant amount of sugar.[6][7] Promotions for the cereal included television advertisements and a stand-up cardboard cutout that was used in supermarkets.[8] Catchphrases for Mr. T Cereal included "Team up with Mr. T, It’s cool" and "I pity the fool who don’t eat my cereal".[1]

A cereal box prize consisted of a packet of Mr. T. stickers, which were packaged inside boxes of the cereal.[2][3]

Some collectors have collected Mr. T. Cereal,[7][9] and some collectors have retained unopened boxes of it with the cereal still in the box.[8]

  • Mr. T Cereal appeared in the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure, in which Pee-wee Herman held a box of the cereal and poured it over "Mr. Breakfast," a face with fried eggs for eyes and bacon strips for lips on a plate, while imitating Mr. T saying, "I pity the poor fool that don't eat my cereal."[10][11]
  • A box of the cereal also appeared atop the refrigerator of Martin Lawrence's character in the 1992 movie "Boomerang."
  • Stranger Things season 3 episode 7 The Bite features the cereal prominently in a display of period goods in Bradley's Big Buy superstore.
  • The cereal would also appear in the film Bumblebee, seen being eaten by Hailee Steinfeld's character Charlie Watson.
  • In season 5 episode 16 of the television show Rules of Engagement, the character Audrey starts a job at a young internet company run by kids. After asking them for something to do, they task her with finding a box of Mr. T cereal for them, which she finds and pays $500 for.
  • A box of the cereal appears in the 1987 film Border Radio.

See also

References
  1. "10 cereals that were too sweet to last". Fox News. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  2. "25 Cereals From The '80s You Will Never Eat Again". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  3. Husfloen, K. (2011). Antique Trader Black American Price Guide. F+W Media. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-4402-2732-5.
  4. Andrew Bales. "Into It: The Strange Life Of Discontinued Breakfast Cereals". Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  5. Corporation Annual Reports to Shareholders. 1981. Retrieved February 20, 2016. Near the end of fiscal 1984, Quaker announced its first entry in licensed ready-to-eat cereals with Mr. T cereal, based on the very ...
  6. Kanner, Bernice (December 1984). "Kellogg's Hard Sell". New York. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  7. Frater, J. (2014). Listverse.com's Epic Book of Mind-Boggling Top 10 Lists: Unbelievable Facts and Astounding Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History, and More. Ulysses Press. p. pt156. ISBN 978-1-61243-335-6.
  8. Roncace, Kelly (November 24, 2014). "T time: Clearview grad's collection of Mr. T memorabilia to go on view in Philly". South Jersey Times. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  9. "The A-Team Of Collectors". Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  10. "'Pee-wee's Big Adventure': Famous Lines & the Ones That Oughta Be". biography.com. February 19, 2016. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  11. "Mr. T Cereal". Mrbreakfast.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
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