Mikey
We all remember the cute kid from the Life Cereal commercial – Mikey. A reader from My Thoughts, Ideas and Ramblings recently asked me – “Whatever happened to Mikey?” 
Mikey’s real name is John Gilchrist. In 1971 an advertising agency created a commercial for Life Cereal staring all three Gilchrist brothers. In the commercial the older two brothers (Michael and Tommy) are arguing over who should try the new Life Cereal that their mom just bought for them – “I’m not going to try it. You try it.” They finally get their younger brother (who “hates everthing”) to try it. “He likes it. Hey Mikey!” The ad was so popular that it ran on television from 1972 until 1987!
John Gilchrist later returned in 1987 to do another commercial for Quaker Oats. In addition he has been in commercials for Pepto Bismol, Skippy Peanut Butter and Jell-O. He quit doing commercials in 1988.
John is now a successful advertising executive.
A myth that has been circulating the internet for years was that John had died in a freak accident when he ate pop rocks and drank Coca Cola at the same time. Another rumor was that he choked to death after biting the head off of a GI Joe Doll. Don’t worry. John is still alive and these rumors are false!
[...] Since I did a post about Mikey from the Life Cereal commercials (remember he supposedly died from eating pop rock and drinking coke), I thought I would find out all about Pop Rocks. [...]
According to formal teachings in advertising, the Gilchrist boy’s father was commissioned for a commercial for Life cereal, had brainstormed the idea, hadn’t fleshed it out much, and just hastily filmed his own boys in his own kitchen doing the ad but for the sake of a “rough” (previsualization tool) to present for approval. Pending approval, it would then be tossed out and investments in a “proper” ad would insue, with a kitchen filming set and paid actors. Well, when the Quaker execs saw the rough clip, they loved it SO much, they said they wanted that exact clip as is for the actual ad. It was never intended to be seen by anyone but the executives.
It is described as the most successful television ad of all time.
That at least is according to lessons I received in commercial art.