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, which is also produced by Quaker.[1]
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][dead link][11]
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.
^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 ...