Teenie Beanies

The Teenie Beanies are miniature Beanie Babies that were offered in McDonald’s promotions from 1996-2000.

The Teenie Beanies were most in demand from McDonald’s in the first year they were offered, and declined in popularity every year thereafter, even though more were produced each time.

During the height of their popularity, which was in 1998, Teenie Beanies were the cause of many fights at various McDonald’s locations, resulting in calls to police, criminal charges, and injuries. These included a Miami area McDonalds employee, who was charged with the theft of the toys. Though they were sold for around $2 each along with a Happy Meal, they were often sold in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 for much higher prices on the secondary market after the promotion.

Some McDonalds locations exhausted their supplies of Teenie Beanies before the promotion was over.

Little Caesars

Yes I know. Little Caesars still exists. I miss the old Little Caesars. When they had Crazy Bread and sweet commercials and none of this $5 Hot & Ready bullshit that tastes like cardboard.

Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Click here to read more »

Lisa Frank

Lisa Frank is an American artist, founder of Lisa Frank Incorporated. The artist’s work appears on various commercial elementary and middle-school products, mostly school supplies. Also common among Lisa Frank-related items are stickers and a variety of other merchandise such as clothing, toys, and even light switch covers, primarily marketed towards young girls.

She founded the company in 1979 ; the company’s headquarters is in Tucson, Arizona, and is easily visible due to the bright hearts, stars, and musical notes decorating the side of the building.

Her artwork features extremely bright and vibrant colors, and round, smooth, reflective surfaces. A number of characters recur on ‘Lisa Frank’ branded items, such as a dancingbear with a top hat, and a grinning unicorn. Rainbows are abundant in Lisa Frank’s art.

Happy Meal Toys

The Happy Meal did not introduce the practice of providing small toys to children. In Canada, the promotion prior to the Happy Meal was called the “Treat of the Week,” where a different toy was available free on request each week. This promotion continued after the Happy Meal was introduced in 1994.

Happy Meal toys have become increasingly elaborate in recent years. While initially they were little more than a cheap plastic trinket such as a frisbee or ball, they have gradually been replaced with increasingly sophisticated toys, many of which are a tie-in to some existing toy line or contemporary motion picture. Between 1996 and 2006, this was usually a Disney movie (Disney movie themes had also been used earlier, but sporadically). However, Disney didn’t renew the contract, wishing to use their characters to promote healthier foods. Click here to see the toys transform »

Terry Tate: Office Linebacker

Terry Tate: Office Linebacker was a series of short comedy TV commercials created by Rawson Marshall Thurber, for Reebok, based on a short film pilot he created in 2000; Tate was first shown at Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003. The short films feature Lester Speight as “Terrible” Terry Tate, an American Football linebacker who “gives out the pain” to those in the office who are not obeying office policies.