AW Throwback: Clarence the Polar Bear (Birds Eye)

By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon

Fans of the frozen food company Birds Eye may recall there was a time when the brand had another mascot that wasn’t the pioneering Captain Birds Eye. The mascot’s name was Clarence, and he was a polar bear that lived inside your freezer.

Clarence made his introduction in 2010 in a Birds Eye advert titled “We’re Only Content With 100%.” He was named after Clarence Birdseye, the founder of Birds Eye. The puppet was designed and fabricated in-house at Asylum Models & Effects Ltd. by Lee Sutton, Asylum puppet designer.

Not Your Typical Frozen Foods Mascot

Clarence possesses many attributes that could make him be considered extremely adorable in any other context. He’s a cute polar bear who lives in your freezer and recommends various frozen Birds Eye foods for dinner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujIOpK6CA-Q

But Clarence wasn’t built like other brand mascots. He didn’t greet you with a smile, giggle, or have a catchphrase about delicious Birds Eye foods. Voice by actor Willem Dafoe, Clarence tended to greet the head of household by name when they opened the freezer door. He maintained unrelenting eye contact as he detailed the reasons why you should cook and eat Birds Eye foods in the freezer. In one advert, he tells Clive that Birds Eye crispy chicken dippers are made with 100% chicken breast — something Birds Eye competitors probably couldn’t say with certainty.

Another ad features Clarence getting choked up about Birds Eye field fresh garden peas. Why should you eat these peas, according to Clarence? They’re so tender once they thaw out, it will bring a tear to your eye.

His recommendations were always spot-on, but his delivery was strange. Clarence liked to remind the various heads of household that he was watching them or simply not to be a stranger to visiting the freezer the next time they needed a meal.

Clarence, on occasion, would leave the freezer. In 2011, he jetted off to the Amalfi Coast to persuade a tourist named Janice to dine on Birds Eye emperor king prawns. They’re fresh, you see, so your holiday never has to come to an end.

According to Asylum, Birds Eye used Clarence for so many shoots that they worried about only having one polar bear puppet. Another two puppets were made to be used throughout the campaign’s duration. Steve Clark and Lynn Robertson Bruce acted as puppeteers for Clarence.

After four years, Birds Eye wrapped up the campaign with Clarence in 2014. And here we are, some 11 years later ahead of Advertising Week Europe 2025 revisiting it as a throwback.

Seeing the way brands are increasingly putting their mascots front and center on social media — Duolingo’s Duo dying and coming back to life on TikTok, influencer Ashton Hall’s morning routine with Saratoga Water being parodied by the Kool-Aid Man and Pillsbury Doughboy (among more characters!), and Carvel’s Fudgie the Whale revealing he’s an “innie” à la Apple TV+’s Severance — gives us an idea. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if Clarence made a cameo on the Birds Eye’s social media accounts?

Think about it, Birds Eye. Clarence is ready to make his return.

Image credits: Asylum Models & Effects Ltd.

About the Author

Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.