Tag: PopIcon

By Heather Taylor For 100 years, Contadina has raised the bar when it comes to rich, vine-ripened Roma tomatoes. Founded by the Aiello brothers and established in 1918, the translation behind the company’s name “Contadina” is Italian. It means “woman of the fields.” Look closely at the Contadina logo and you will see one such woman displayed there. Who is…

By Heather Taylor I mustache you a question… Did you know some of advertising’s biggest icons are signing up to be part of Movember? Yep, they are! The Movember Foundation announced on October 25th that they are partnering with characters like the Green Giant and Mr. Peanut for Movember. A leading charity changing the face of men’s health, Movember encourages men…

By Heather Taylor The year was 1986 and Ronald McDonald, the iconic McDonald’s clown, found himself in a spooky situation. He was starring in “Scared Silly,” a terrifying tale where he encountered a mysterious Count living in Transylvania… and that’s no joke! We might have exaggerated a few of those details ever so slightly. Yes, the year was still 1986…

By Heather Taylor It’s Saturday night at Monster Mansion and our friends Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry are sitting around feeling frightfully lonely. Fans of the General Mills’ Monster Cereals got more than just breakfast when they purchased a cereal box in 1979. Audio tracks put on a 45rpm “flexi-disc” record were also included on the backs of…

By Heather Taylor Anyone familiar with the Planters brand knows that the company brand mascot, Mr. Peanut, has an incredible fashion sense. His taste in style has now extended beyond the wardrobe and into libations. This week, Planters launched their first beer, Mr. IPA-Nut, into the craft beer market. Recognize that iconic monocle and yellow shell coloring? That’s the one…

By Heather Taylor Chances are you might have already seen the Belgian Boys brand before. Perhaps you received one of their complimentary Choc ‘O Chip mini cookie stash bags on a recent JetBlue flight. Or, you spotted their Mini Stroopwafels or Waffle Chips for sale in the snack aisle at Target. No doubt you would have immediately spotted the duo’s…

By Heather Taylor What’s not to love about Big Jim? His debut commercial with Progressive Insurance introduces audiences (and neighborhoods) to a strong, skilled fella. We quickly learn, through his accompanying jingle, that the animated Big Jim is no ordinary guy. “He’s got legs of lumber. Arms of steel. Eats a bowl of hamburgers at every meal!” Big Jim is…

By Heather Taylor Last week, Advertising Week kicked off its 15th year anniversary with a twist on the traditional Madison Avenue Walk of Fame announcement. Yes, we would still induct two new characters and slogans to join the 2018 MAWoF at #AWNewYork. This year, however, we went all out with an Icon Gala Awards event on Monday October 1st that celebrated advertising’s…

By Heather Taylor Welcome to part two in our two-part series about what it was like to work at Leo Burnett Chicago on the world’s most famous iconic characters. If you missed part 1 you can find it here.  What happened if you created a character who was a huge hit? Our eight former LB creatives — including Jim Nawrocki,…

By Heather Taylor Have you ever wondered what it was like to work at Leo Burnett Chicago during the agency’s heyday? Do you wish you could have been a fly on the wall during a brainstorming session for Charlie the Tuna’s TV campaign, witness the Pillsbury Doughboy’s stop-motion animation, or stand in an elevator with anyone from the Marlboro account?…

By Heather Taylor Step inside any art or natural history museum and exhibits filled with vibrant watercolor paintings, intricate sculptures, and records of extinct species will quickly surround you. There are many unusual things one can view at museums, but it’s highly unlikely that guests will catch glimpses of Tony the Tiger, Morris the Cat, or Mr. Peanut during their…

By Heather Taylor Last week, we reported that the Monster Cereals — Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula — have returned to grocery stores for the fall season. Joining them on October 1st will be three Halloween-themed Kellogg’s cereals: Chocolate Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, and Apple Jacks. The iconic faces of these cereals, including Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, and…

By Heather Taylor They’re here! Following the heels of the Pumpkin Spice Latte’s return to Starbucks, General Mills Monster Cereals have arrived at grocery stores just in time for the fall season. The beloved trio of friendly frighteners — Boo Berry, Franken Berry, and Count Chocula — are ready to serve up their usual tricks and treats at the breakfast…

By Heather Taylor Over the summer, Nike and pro basketball star Kyrie Irving partnered together to launch a collection of sneakers. These aren’t your ordinary kicks either. The shoes were inspired by three of General Mills’ biggest cereals, Kix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Lucky Charms. Dubbed the Nike Kyrie 4 “Cereal Pack,” the shoes were packaged inside boxes designed to…

By Heather Taylor Thinking about artificial intelligence typically conjures up images of faceless robots on a mission to systematically take jobs away from human beings. The last thing consumers imagine they might see are loveable, gentle cows. This unexpected branding twist allows San Francisco-based AI company, Moogsoft, and its cow character mascot to stand out from the tech herd. Moogsoft’s…

By Heather Taylor Since 1972, the green, leaf-clad Little Green Sprout has resided in the same Valley that the Jolly Green Giant calls home. Sprout has spent decades looking up to the harvest icon while proudly taking on his own initiatives to show kids everywhere how healthy and tasty it is to eat your veggies. Now, he’s rolling out his…

By Heather Taylor Follow your nose in style! Kellogg’s Froot Loops has teamed up with user-created fashion brand AWAYTOMARS to create a unique clothing collection inspired by the delicious cereal and its bright mascot, Toucan Sam. Breakfast enthusiasts might recall that Froot Loops partnered with Neff, State Bicycle Co., and Timbuk2 in 2017 to design colorful gear and accessories encouraging…

By Heather Taylor We all have moments where we wish we could fix what we perceive to be our imperfections, and we’re not alone. Sometimes even characters have these thoughts, like the jiggly squad in JELL-O Play’s new animated series “The JELL-O Wobz.” Created in partnership with DreamWorksTV, every Wobz is a different flavor of JELL-O with a unique mold…

By Heather Taylor Caramel isn’t like the other members of the M&M’S family tree. He doesn’t look or behave like anyone else. Every other icon, from Red to Yellow, is round or oval shaped and brimming with personality. Caramel is a little more nervous and nerdy. He’s kind of a square actually, which is perfectly suited to his shape. In…

By Heather Taylor 2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of Cocoa Puffs, the deliciously chocolatey cereal from General Mills that breakfast enthusiasts have been going cuckoo over for decades. Cocoa Puffs was officially introduced on June 27, 1958 and released nationwide on August 14 that same year. We take chocolate flavored cereal for granted today, but back then it…