The History of Life Cereal

Life cereal was introduced by Quaker Oats in 1961. Notably, it was the company’s first cold cereal offering. Life was introduced in “Original” flavor and quickly gained popularity. The cereal's quick rise was later buoyed by a famous commercial that Quaker Oats began running in 1972. The TV spot featured three brothers debating who would try the new cereal at the breakfast table first. The character of Little Mikey ends up trying it and one of his older brothers yells, "He likes it! Hey Mikey!". The phrase (along with the entire commercial) went on to become iconic. In fact, the commercial ran for over 10 years and was even recreated in 2000. The ad was so famous that it was later inducted into the TV Commercial Hall of Fame and earned a Clio Award. Most significantly, it helped Life cereal become a household name in America. As the cereal gained popularity, several different flavors were released, including Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Strawberry. (More recently, the brand released several seasonal flavors, including Pumpkin Spice in 2016 and Gingerbread Spice in 2017.) In 2000, Quaker Oats — and with it, Life cereal — was purchased by PepsiCo. Today, Life remains one of the most enduringly popular cereals in the United States and frequently ranks within the top 10 cereal brands, despite debuting in the 1960s.