These Are America’s All-Time Favorite Brand Mascots
By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
Whose name would you say if you were spontaneously asked to declare your favorite brand mascot? For the 1,200 Americans polled by market researcher Cubery, 10 characters came to immediate mind in their September 2026 analysis on America’s all-time favorite brand mascots.
Who Are America’s Favorite Brand Mascots?
Frosted Flakes’ own Tony the Tiger had a GR-R-REAT! showing in first place, having received 24% of all votes. The GEICO Gecko (16%) and LiMu Emu, 1/2 of the Liberty Mutual duo (9%) rounded out the top three.
The remaining seven characters received anywhere from 2% – 5% of all votes. The Kool-Aid Man (5%) and Cheetos’ Chester Cheetah (4%) wrapped up the top five with the Pillsbury Doughboy (3%) giggling his way to sixth place. Seventh place was a four-way tie with 2% of votes equally distributed among Ronald McDonald, Progressive’s Flo, the Chick-fil-A Cows and Gidget, the long-retired talking Taco Bell chihuahua.
Mascot Surprises and Snubs
As a longtime advertising journalist, seeing Gidget break into this top 10 surprised me the most of any mascot. Many remember the Taco Bell ads that turned the chihuahua into an overnight sensation, but not all: the last of these commercials aired more than 25 years ago.
When I asked Angela Diamant, Head of Growth at Cubery, how polling worked, Diamant said they used an unaided recall approach. Doing this in lieu of providing voters with a list of examples better helped them understand which mascots genuinely came to mind. The inclusion of Gidget certainly speaks to the staying power of Taco Bell’s “Yo Quiero Taco Bell!” campaign during the late 1990s.
Though I wasn’t expecting Gidget, I was surprised by the omissions of other legacy mascots like StarKist’s Charlie the Tuna or Planters’ Mr. Peanut. Neither faintly registered a percentage of votes. Other characters known for having a loud viral presence on TikTok, like Duolingo’s Duo, were nowhere to be found.
Diamant had anticipated the M&M’S spokescandies might make an appearance, but not one, neither Red nor Yellow or any other color, was recalled enough to rank among the top 10.
This is not to say these characters characters aren’t beloved by Americans. Imagine being put on the spot to name your favorite mascot — for a brand, not a sports team. Conducting a spontaneous recall of anything, let alone a category of iconic mascots, is a challenge.
“Being well known doesn’t always mean being the first character people think of,” said Diamant. “The mascots which broke through tended to have very clear ownership of a single brand idea and a strong emotional or nostalgic connection.”
Tony the Tiger’s Enduring Appeal
If I was surprised by Gidget’s mentions, I was all smiles seeing Tony the Tiger in first place. Tony, it’s worth noting, was one of five mascots inducted into our Madison Avenue Walk of Fame upon its debut year of 2004.
A few years ago, I conducted an impromptu poll of my own among select members of the advertising community to find their favorite breakfast mascot. Tony’s landslide win ultimately reshaped the article I wrote, turning it from a “favorite breakfast mascot” listicle into a piece examining what makes Tony the Tiger the greatest cereal mascot of all time. A perfect storm of factors, including Tony’s bold look, iconic catchphrase and zest for life and breakfast, have all positioned him for GR-R-REATness in the cereal aisle.
Diamant also said Tony the Tiger is particularly effective because he’s more than just a character on a cereal box. “Over decades, he has developed a recognizable personality, a distinctive visual identity, and a clear association with confidence, positivity, and the idea of being ‘great.’”
“The results show mascots can become powerful brand assets when they are nurtured over time. Tony’s longevity demonstrates how repeated exposure, consistent creative execution, and a strong emotional connection can help a character move from being an advertising device to becoming part of popular culture.”
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.
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