Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”​

What makes an ad campaign great? High quality writing. Skilled copywriting can boost any ad campaign and lead to increased product sales and market success. For a great example of this, take a look at the famous “Mikey Likes It” ad campaign.

What Is The “Mikey Likes It” Ad Campaign?

In the 1970s, Quaker Oats aired a series of ads called “Mikey Likes It.” These ads promoted Life cereal by showing a fussy eater, Mikey, digging into a bowl of cereal to the astonishment of his friends. The ads showed how anyone could enjoy Life cereal and have a healthy breakfast, even the pickiest of eaters.
 
This simple strategy ended up being a highly effective advertising method. The commercial ran for over 13 years and created name-brand recognition for Life cereal.
 
The key to the commercial’s success is the simplicity and relatability of its message. It strikes the right tone. If Mikey likes it, it can appeal to anyone. The cute kids and fun childish banter of the ad made viewers think of their own breakfast table, and how it could be benefitted.

Five Lessons Copywriters Can Learn From The Ad Campaign

Copywriters working to build up their arsenal can learn a few key lessons from the “Mikey Likes It” campaign. A closer look will help viewers understand five things about the writing of this campaign that can benefit writers creating new content
1. Make the campaign as relatable as possible
A successful campaign is one that is relatable. When a campaign is relatable, it will further encourage the target audience to want to try the product or service being advertised. As a copywriter, you will want to adjust your campaign in accordance with your target audience so that the campaign is relatable to their experiences.
 
For this particular ad campaign, the product is targeted towards both children and adults. What is clever about the ad is that it appeals to both demographics. It does this by featuring children in the ad, instead of adults.
 
Because the ad shows children, other children viewing the ad see themselves represented. They imagine themselves sitting at the breakfast table with siblings or friends. Adults see children just like their own, and receive the “kid tested” guarantee that Life cereal will be a delicious and healthy option for their kids.
 
When trying to write relatable ad campaigns, draw from personal experiences which you think your target audience might connect with. This will help the audience relate to your content and buy your product. (see also: Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience)

2. Collaborate with a team to further develop your ideas
Working behind the scenes of the Life cereal ad campaign was the Doyle, Dane & Bernbach Agency. This team was tasked with creating a product and campaign that would appeal to children. Several writers collaborated to create the ad campaign. Without each of their contributions, it would not have been as successful as it was.
 
It’s important to remember that many jobs benefit from the contribution of several writers. As a copywriter, you should be prepared to work with others. Great copywriters both contribute original ideas and provide constructive criticism to ideas from their teammates. Any successful campaign has several brains working on it behind the scenes.
 
When in the writer’s room or attending an editor’s meeting, show up prepared with a few new ideas. Stay attentive and listen to the ideas of others. Be a good team player and other writers will trust and respect you.

For more on generating ideas, check out "The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation."

3. Create a memorable catchphrase
Decades after the ad campaign has ended, people can still recite the catchphrase: “He likes it! Hey, Mikey!”. Those who watched TV in the 70s and 80s will immediately recognize the phrase and think back to the Life cereal commercials. This is a classic example of the power of a catchphrase.
 
Notice the key elements of what makes this catchphrase so memorable. It’s short and sweet. There is a simple, subtle rhyme to it. It’s positive and friendly. Plus, the person who says the catchphrase is a cute kid!
 
Again, the key with the catchphrase is both its uniqueness and its relatability. If you can write a campaign that is relatable and memorable, then you will entice customers and make them want to connect with the product being advertised.
 
4. Use humor!
Not every campaign can be humorous, as this depends on the product/service, but humor is a boon to advertising wherever possible. Similar to the catchphrase, humor makes a campaign memorable. A new joke, a funny or ironic perspective—these copywriting tools draw in the audience.
 
The “Mikey Likes It” ad campaign uses humor in a clever way. When the two young boys say “let’s get Mikey, he won’t eat it, he hates everything”, it suggests that the boys know how fussy Mikey is. However, when Mikey eats the Life cereal it proves them wrong and creates a small amount of humor for the audience, as well as towards the young boys who thought that they knew it all.
 
This humor becomes relatable for children and adults, as we have all been there to suggest that we know something that we don’t. Even this small amount of humor is enough to make the campaign memorable and unique from other campaigns that may lack personality, fun, and character.
 
5. Keep it short and sweet
​Originally only 30 seconds long, the “Mikey Likes It” ads kept it short and sweet. The ads focused on one clear message and didn’t deviate for 13 years. Each iteration showed that fussy eaters would enjoy Life cereal.
 
Take a page from this ad campaign when working on your next copywriting project. Don’t try to fluff up what you’re working on. Stay focused on the key message of your copy. One clear idea is all you need.​ Even the shortest ad campaign can be memorable, especially if it includes a memorable catchphrase and relatable story.

Apply these lessons to your copywriting

There are many lessons a copywriter can learn from a successful campaign like “Mikey Likes It”. The golden rule here is to produce ad content that is relatable and memorable, as it will increase a brand’s awareness, as well as its reputation.
 
If you found these ads helpful to understanding how you can write better copy, keep looking for new ads to inspire you, and keep reading. Explore more articles on the San Francisco School of Copywriting website. You could take an online class to further your understanding.
 
Remember that clever writing is at the heart of great ads. You can hone your craft to produce content just as memorable as “Mikey Likes It!”