Xbox wants your Pop-Tarts
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Nov 19th 2006 at 10:15AM }
Click to enlarge
Joystiq stumbled across this while looking for something extremely sugary to keep us up through the Wii launch event in Los Angeles. Lo and behold, Xbox 360 + Pop-Tarts = free beanie. If you send in three Pop-Tarts UPCs and the official order form by next New Year's Eve (that's 2007, folks) you'll snag yourself a beanie, assuming you bought a toaster instead of a PlayStation 3.
Is it just us, or is this a pretty wacky advertisement? Do people actually still clip and save UPC codes and send 'em in for free schwag? The little guy on the box seems to be pretty jazzed about the hat, or else he's afraid it's about to crush him. If that's not enough, check out the back of the box where a pony-tailed girl admires the hat from afar. Those poor girl gamers, always on the sideline, never wearing the hat.
The best part of the box is the "actual design may vary" caveat next to the hat. It would really make our day if Microsoft managed to substitute "Windows Vista" beanies instead.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jecrell @ Nov 19th 2006 10:18AM
Buyer Beware: The real beanie may say Playstation 3~~
Inspector71 @ Nov 19th 2006 10:23AM
Well, when you've got a lot of surplus crap and a lucrative partnership with Kellogg's going begging...
AceHazard @ Nov 19th 2006 10:28AM
I got one of these beanies a few months ago. I was totally jazzed to be sporting my new 360 beanie until I saw a damn Pop Tarts logo on the back. Ugh! I tried to remove it to no avail and just ended up throwing the thing away. Guess my head will have to go cold this winter.
Baka @ Nov 19th 2006 10:29AM
Ye olde news. But yeah, I had the same reaction when I first saw that ad. But really, if you like Xbox 360, eat a lot of pop tarts, well you have a free hat, and whats not kinda cool about that- even if just to Ebay it someday?
nick @ Nov 19th 2006 10:34AM
A friend of mine has this beanie, but it doesn't say Pop Tart on the back. I believe Microsoft has given these away at various events, including Zero Hour.
corn_fest @ Nov 19th 2006 11:21AM
ever seen Xbox Fruit Rolls?
They exist :p
Geist @ Nov 19th 2006 12:05PM
Arrrgh! Those aren't beanies! They're called TOQUES! Pronounced Took. They're from Canada! A beanie is one of those hats with the propellor on top. This is a toque. Arr.
Wizzle @ Nov 19th 2006 11:39AM
Ummmm......the Wii launched less than 6 hours ago and this is the best story we can scrap up? Come on guys, I love joystiq and all but this is pretty week for a launch day.
Raz 4 life @ Nov 19th 2006 11:46AM
You can get a free 360 backpack-like thing on specially marked eggos, too.
Efren Abrego @ Nov 19th 2006 12:02PM
FREE HAT!! FREE HAT!! FREE HAT!!
otakucode @ Nov 19th 2006 12:02PM
I'm just waiting for the Pop Tart themed games ala the BK games. Maybe they'll feature the infamous hidden feature of Pop Tarts, the ability to turn a toaster into a deadly flamethrower!
bentheo @ Nov 19th 2006 12:40PM
i've got a mountain dew/360 beanie from that contest mountain dew had before the xbox launched.
Dave Silva @ Nov 19th 2006 12:53PM
Actually, this is going on with Eggo waffles, except those packages are offering a 360 backpack baggie. :)
Jumbo @ Nov 19th 2006 1:02PM
It's Crazy Hat Day, rejected cartoons.
chudgoo @ Nov 19th 2006 1:43PM
Abrego!
I wonder if they will replace the guns in Gears Of War with walkie-talkies...
Maybe this calls for a cool island song... ;)
Steve @ Nov 19th 2006 2:06PM
Tell me that picture on that box doesn't look like (unintentional?) porn.
The3rdNuisance @ Nov 19th 2006 2:24PM
I was considering sunding something like this in, photoshopping the beanie part out, seeing if you do check your references.
I'm amazed that this is on here, much less extremely late. I've seen that advertiesment for months.
Nice choice of flavors though, couldn't find Wild Berry? I've been looking for those at my local store, and can never find them.
Also, toasters, suck.
And, Wizzle spelt "weak" wrong. What a loser.
Stephen @ Nov 19th 2006 2:35PM
is it just me or was that comment about the guy on the front being "jazzed" about the hat ridiculously funny, it made me laugh chocolate milk through my nostrils. Poor little guy....just about to be squished by the awesome triple core power of an xbox 360 hat.
Gmack @ Nov 19th 2006 3:12PM
The beanies are nice. I ordered two, one for each of my children, and yes they the poptarts logo on the back. The advantage of have two young children who like poptarts. They are a little on the small size, I order a youth the first and it barely fit my daughters head and the adult is not much bigger, but son and daughter are happy. This was a win win.
hello @ Nov 19th 2006 3:15PM
That was a funny post. pat on the head for kevin kelly.
gentryblah @ Nov 20th 2006 7:51AM
um Nick, you or your friend are lying. They DO say "pop tarts" on the other side. And actually it looks pretty cool...unless you're a hardass macho man. ha ha. consider it confirmed.
smores 7 days a week
haha @ Nov 20th 2006 9:04PM
haha look at the little white guy on the box.... he has a cinnamon, uh, stick.
Judd @ Nov 19th 2006 4:46PM
"But he killed 43 babies!"
"It was in self-defense."
A brownie point to anyone who gets the reference.
greenfly360 @ Nov 19th 2006 5:00PM
I so have to have one!
Ryan @ Nov 19th 2006 5:31PM
Poptarts are frosted!
TheH2s @ Nov 19th 2006 5:51PM
We got one for our son. They are really nice hats. He doesn't care about the Pop Tarts logo on them. He only cares about what's on the front. Xbox 360 FTW!
Jon @ Nov 19th 2006 9:30PM
Am i a loser for actually saveing the upc and sending it in?
Haha, I am.
The Wolfkin @ Nov 20th 2006 9:39AM
you're darn right we'll clip those UPCs. I did that for my free King Kong T-Shirt from AppleJacks.
David G @ Dec 14th 2006 9:25PM
Great, that'll go swell with my 360 mountain dew beanie from last year! Wait a sec...it's the same beanie! Wonder if there's a Pop-Tarts logo on the other side, where the MD logo was. I think I'll stick with the old one, MD has more street cred than pop tarts, so the kids tell me
Michael S @ Dec 14th 2006 10:12PM
"But he killed 43 babies!"
"It was in self-defense."
Southpark
FREE HAT! FREE HAT!
HAHAHAH