We acknowledge Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and give respect to their Elders, past and present.

Read our Statement of Reflection

Your Cart

Your cart is empty right now...

Discover what's on
Your Stuff
Lists
No lists found
Create list
List name
0 Saved items
Updated: a few seconds ago
Getting Started
Get started with Your Stuff

A free Your Stuff account allows you to save, list and share your favourite collection items and articles. This account will give you access to Your Stuff, NFSA Player and Pro. You will need to create an additional account for Canberra event tickets.

Confirm
Skip to main content
National Film and Sound Archive of AustraliaNational Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
National Film and Sound Archive

Mr T promotes Atari

1985

Mr T promotes Atari

1985

  • NFSA IDTTHF8B3T
  • TypeTelevision
  • MediumMoving Image
  • FormAdvertisement (includes promotional)
  • Duration1 hr, 6 mins, 21 secs
  • Year1985

Mr T promotes the Atari 800XL home computer in this advertisement from the mid-1980s.

The Atari 800XL was designed to look like a common typewriter and was a follow-up to the hugely successful Atari 2600 video game console. It had an expandable system with two accessible cartridge ports under a front cover. The cartridges could simply be plugged in.

It sold well and provided a solid alternative to the Commodore as a capable low-price computer with superior graphics and sound capabilities.

Mr T was a popular actor and television star of The A Team, known for wearing large amounts of gold jewellery and for the catchphrase, 'I pity the fool'.

He was a good choice to promote Atari, not only because of his popularity at the time, but because in many ways he had a cartoonish public persona that would appeal to teenagers. The A Team itself has had a number of incarnations as a video game.

A nice touch in the ad is creating an Atari computer image of Mr T, thereby demonstrating the computer's graphic potential.

Mr T promotes the Atari 800XL home computer in this advertisement from the mid-1980s.

The Atari 800XL was designed to look like a common typewriter and was a follow-up to the hugely successful Atari 2600 video game console. It had an expandable system with two accessible cartridge ports under a front cover. The cartridges could simply be plugged in.

It sold well and provided a solid alternative to the Commodore as a capable low-price computer with superior graphics and sound capabilities.

Mr T was a popular actor and television star of The A Team, known for wearing large amounts of gold jewellery and for the catchphrase, 'I pity the fool'.

He was a good choice to promote Atari, not only because of his popularity at the time, but because in many ways he had a cartoonish public persona that would appeal to teenagers. The A Team itself has had a number of incarnations as a video game.

A nice touch in the ad is creating an Atari computer image of Mr T, thereby demonstrating the computer's graphic potential.

  • Production company
    Entertainment Media
Industry professional? Go Pro

Need to license this item? A/V professionals and researchers can shortlist licensing enquiries via our NFSA Pro catalogue search and membership.

Get started with PRO

Collections to explore

  • Home console

  • Computer gaming

  • 1980s

  • Start your own collection

    A free Your Stuff account allows you to save, organise and share your favourite videos, audio and stories.

More in Stories+

Personalized your experience

Save, create and share

With NFSA Your Stuff