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Mikey’s Mom: Ad Woman Behind One of TV’s Most Famous Commercials Dies at 81

Dec 16, 2011  •  Post A Comment

The woman behind a commercial that’s familiar to anyone who watched television in the 1970s has died. In the commercial, a little boy named Mikey, known to be a picky eater, takes a bite of a new cereal called Life. "He likes it!" exclaims his older brother.

You can watch the commercial below. One of the keys to its success is its brilliant simplicity.

Edie Stevenson, a copywriter who wrote the commercial, has died at 81, reports The New York Times. Her work on the ad earned her a promotion at Doyle Dane Bernbach to vice president, the piece notes.

Stevenson’s script was called "Three Brothers," and the ad was directed by Bob Gage. The line many viewers might remember is, "Let’s get Mikey. He won’t eat it. He hates everything." The ad is rated 10th on TV Guide’s list of the top 10 commercials, and it won a Clio Award in 1974.

Stevenson, a divorced mother of four, worked on campaigns for Volkswagen, Smirnoff Vodka and Cutty Sark Scotch.

 

One Comment

  1. Most parodied ad by junior high & high school wise-asses who thought they were being funnier than everyone else when it came to talent shows and in-school TV & radio shows.
    (Guilty as charged)

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