One technique that changed marketing forever was the popularization of creating brand mascots. The products we buy and the food we consume have become inseparable from the mascots that represent them.
Millions, correction, billions of dollars are spent on marketing and advertising every year. Companies have entire departments dedicated to writing slogans and jingles, writing ads, and designing logos and mascots.
Their strategies have paid off. The public has come to love countless products and the mascots on the box. The list of iconic mascots that have stood the test of time stand as a testament to the success of marketing departments through history.
Read on to discover 15 Brand Mascots that have shaped the consumer market and influenced our purchases.
Planters Peanuts held a contest in 1916 to find their new mascot. Fourteen year old Antonio Gentile won a whopping $5 for a personified peanut. He was given a few dapper accessories to elevate his appearance and Mr. Peanut was born.
For over 100 years he remained a constant in packaging and advertising of Planters Peanuts products. He has earned his spot as one of the oldest mascots but his fashion sense is timeless.
Another distinguished gentleman, Milburn “Rich Uncle” Pennybags was created in 1936. You may better know him as Mr. Monopoly or the Monopoly Man.
The character, designed by Daniel Fox, made his debut on the chance and community chest cards in 1936. He remained nameless until ten years later when he appeared in another Parker Brothers’ game Rich Uncle, stealing its name as his own.
In 1988 another game designer Philip Orbanes, in his book The Monopoly Companions named him Milburn Pennybags while also identifying the prisoner and officer that appear on the ‘In Jail’ and ‘Go to Jail’ spots, Jake and Officer Mallory, respectively.
Orbanes also claimed Mr. Monopoly is modeled after the financier and banker J.P. Morgan. Mr. Monopoly has gained worldwide fame with over 275 million units of the game being sold since 1935.
Mr. Clean is the absolute personification of dirt-busting power and squeaky clean results. There is not a stain or mark or crease on a single item of clothing.
Everything is tucked and neat. Not a single hair is out of place; he doesn’t have any. His bald head shines like it was cleaned by the very products he is promoting.
Since his conception in the 1950’s, Mr. Clean has remained almost unchanging and always smiling except for a few ads in the mid-sixties.
His mannerisms often mimic that of a genie with his gold earring, his fortuitous and sudden appearances, and his endearing wink. It’s no wonder Mr. Clean products are often referred to as a genie in a bottle.
Some mascots are simply fun and colorful to attract customers. Others, like Mr. Clean, are designed to reflect their products' nature or the core values of the company. A few notable mentions are Charlie the Tuna of Starkist, the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and Energizer Bunny.
“Sorry Charlie.” A common phrase in the American vernacular that means too bad or you are out of luck. Many use that phrase having no idea it was coined by a fish.
Charlie the Tuna was a jive talking hipster who boasted good taste and strived to be chosen by Starkist to be in their next can of tuna.
Time after time he was turned down because Starkist wasn’t looking for tuna with great taste, they were looking for tuna that tastes great. Well if you are looking for a more iconic fish mascot, sorry Charlie but you aren’t going to find one.
Poppin Fresh (aka the Pillsbury Dough Boy) is warm and comforting, soft and plump which is everything Pillsbury wants customers to find in each and every package of biscuits, rolls, cookies, and so on.
His lively demeanor and contagious giggle make you want to pop open a can of biscuits and gather the family around the table. Since 1965 Poppin Fresh has made over 600 commercials and has appeared on over 50 Pillsbury products.
According to Ad Age the giggly dough boy holds place six of ten in the top advertising mascots of the 20th Century.
Let’s not forget the Energizer Bunny. Ironically, Duracell used bunnies in their commercials first.
Energizer responded by creating and introducing their bunny in 1988 that is without question outlasting the competition. He just keeps going. For a time, pink bunnies were only affiliated with Duracell batteries.
When Energizer gave their bunny more movement and character they redirected people’s associations. What began as a parody has become one of the most iconic mascots in marketing history.
“They’re great!” Chances are you read that exclamation with elongated vowels and great enthusiasm in the voice of the beloved representative of Frosted Flakes cereal, Tony the Tiger.
Tony has become a breakfast cereal icon but he wasn’t the only mascot considered for the well-known cereal. He won the position over a kangaroo, an elephant and a gnu.
For five generations Tony was voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft who once said, “I made Tony a person. For me, Tony was real. I made him become a human being and that affected the animation and everything.”
This quote by Ravenscroft strikes a chord at the center of the effectiveness of mascots for promoting products and creating a brand identity.
Many mascots are either people or anthropomorphic; the giving of human traits to nonhuman objects.
Creating characters that communicate and move as humans do make them relatable and loveable.
Humans are most comfortable with things that are known and what do we know better than humans? Marketing companies take this a step further by giving their characters personalities and backstories and some of them are even given families.
People buy products associated with people or things that they like and are connected to.
A study published in the Journal of Management Information Systems found that people are seven times more likely to buy something when the mascot is human or has anthropomorphic features.
A handful of characters have gained their fame through singing and dancing. The California Raisins are such a group. They were created by the California Raisin Advisory Board in 1986 and rose to fame by singing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Their first release was such a success that it was followed by four studio albums, an animated series, and even other promotional gigs like Raisin Bran cereal.
Speedy is another mascot known for his singing. An artist, Robert Watkins was commissioned in 1951 to imagine an icon that better sold the relief-giving tablets.
His drawing was made into a puppet that looks like he is straight out of the world of Rudolph and Santa Claus.
His iconic red hair and rosie cheeks are world famous. His cheerful smile is paired with a jolly singing voice. You can’t help but get the catchy jingle stuck in your head.
For so many, the fizz of the Alka-Seltzer tablet brings back memories of the small puppet dancing and singing, “Plop, plop. Fizz, fizz. Oh what a relief it is!”
Some product mascots have been around for over one hundred years, standing the test of time. These characters have been part of households for generations.
The Jolly Green Giant has been encouraging us to eat our veggies since 1928. The famous giant is celebrated in his hometown of Le Sueur, Minnesota and surrounding areas.
He has a statue in his honor and a museum displaying almost a century’s worth of memorabilia.
Brothers Andre and Edouard Michelen stumbled across a pile of tires in Lyon that resembled a man without arms. They used this stack of tires at the expo they were attending to attract patrons.
A few years later, in 1898, artist O’Galop brought to life their vision for the Michelin Man. He was later given the name Bibendum.
The friendly stack of tires is recognized and loved all around the world. He has stood tall to represent Michelin tires for almost 130 years.
This list would not be complete without the Quaker Man for Quaker Oats.
He is the oldest and most consistent mascot of them all. He remains a symbol of purity, honesty, and integrity that the brand wants to portray to consumers.
He was timeless at his beginning and remains the same today, inviting people to trust the brand and start their day with a hearty helping of oats.
A key factor in using mascots to promote products on the market is their appeal to children.
They create a type of relationship with the characters that appeal to them. Marketing agencies have designed some of the most iconic mascots over the years in an attempt to sell products to children.
A kid favorite for many years was the small little man in a red coconut-frond hat that always offered his friend a hawaiian punch.
When Oaf answered yes thinking he would get a refreshing drink, Punchy would throw back his fist and give his friend an uppercut to the chin.
His signature move became a fan favorite. During his twenty-year run he was featured on school book covers, toys, clothing, tumblers, and wrist watches. In only two decades he became the drink’s best salesman.
The Kool-aid man is loved for his energy and cheeriness. He began as Pitcher Man but was given his current moniker when he was given arms and legs.
His color is that of the original Kool-aid flavor, cherry. Paired with his iconic look is his trademark move; crashing through a wall. “Oh Yeah!”
Brands rely heavily on the opinions, reactions, and thoughts of children. Quaker Oats Company discovered from a survey that children dislike soggy cereal. In response they had a cereal and mascot ready to go.
Cap’n Crunch cereal and the corresponding mascot claimed to remain crunchy even when drowning in milk. Cap’n Crunch led the charge against the enemy, the soggies.
His cereal was the only one that could withstand their power. The Captain was featured on cereal boxes, commercials, and even an animated series.
Esteemed newspapers The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reported in 2013 that Captain Crunch wore the wrong markings on his uniform to identify as a Captain.
This began a playful dialogue about the Captain’s real identity. The Journal also reported that the U.S. Navy had no record of Horatio P. Crunch and NCIS claimed to be investigating him.
All of this playful reporting in response to the error of his design, whether intentional or not, was actually good publicity.
The name Cap’n Crunch was on the lips of the public, memes were circling about him, and he was all over online forums.
The good ole captain became a more familiar figure. He received an elevated status as cereal icon as well as naval rank.
Companies do not pour endless amounts of money into building a brand and mascot simply because people love them.
They do it because it pays.
The reward far outweighs the sacrifice. Research from Moving Picture Company has found that when a company invests in a long-term character to represent their brand they will see profits increase by 34.1%!
That explains why Pillsbury spent the equivalent of $120,000 in today’s market to bring Poppin Fresh to life. It also justifies why the original Speedy puppet is insured for $100,000.
These characters are of great value to the companies that fabricate them. For reasons beyond money these fan favorites will be renowned globally for years to come.
Let us hear from you what your favorite mascot was. Or should you need help creating your own mascot, let us know!
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_the_Tiger
https://erinsweeneydesign.com/marketing/a-history-of-the-most-iconic-brand-mascots-since-1877/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Monopoly
https://dreamfarmagency.com/blog/popular-brand-mascots/