Tag: PopIcon

  • Whatever Happened to Play-Doh Pete?

    Whatever Happened to Play-Doh Pete?

    By Heather Taylor If you grew up with Hasbro’s Play-Doh, chances are you probably remember the little guy clad in the red beret on the packaging. His name was Play-Doh Pete and he was one of the brand mascots for the famous modeling compound. Where has Pete disappeared to and who are these other characters I’m talking about? Get your…

  • Celebrating National Ravioli Day with Chef Boyardee

    Celebrating National Ravioli Day with Chef Boyardee

    Happy National Ravioli Day! It’s a big day for Chef Boyardee and we’re celebrating with a look back at how this brand, and its real-life chef who serves as its famous face, transformed delicious pasta dishes for kids and adults. Hector Boiardi was born in Piacenza, Italy in 1897. In the above commercial spot, Hector is depicted as a curious…

  • How Vinnie the “Danda” Was Created for Fox’s Biscuits

    How Vinnie the “Danda” Was Created for Fox’s Biscuits

    By Heather Taylor Part dog, part panda, 100% wise guy. Fans of Fox’s Biscuits may recall that in 2008 the brand debuted a TV advert campaign directed by Garth Jennings starring a mascot named Vinnie. A cross between a dog and panda, the creatives at Mother London dreamed up Vinnie to have the personality of an old-school Italian gangster with…

  • Who is That Adorable One-Eyed Bear Mascot for TUI UK?

    Who is That Adorable One-Eyed Bear Mascot for TUI UK?

    By Heather Taylor Travel adverts have long featured individuals fed up with overly stressed or stifling dull routines that make the decision to escape by spontaneously booking a vacation. At TUI UK, formerly Thomson Holidays, it’s Miles the Bear who gets the vacation that’s all he ever wanted in the company’s 2014 TV advert campaign. Advertising agency BMB helped bring…

  • A Pup and His Toilet Paper: 5 Things You Never Knew About the Andrex Puppy

    A Pup and His Toilet Paper: 5 Things You Never Knew About the Andrex Puppy

    By Heather Taylor 2017 marked the 75th anniversary for toilet paper brand Andrex and 2018 marks the 46th birthday of the iconic Andrex Puppy. Described as one of the most famous puppies in Great Britain, the frisky Labrador Retriever has spent decades playing with rolls of the nation’s favorite TP from the brand committed to making everyone feel as clean…

  • Tour de Trix: How the Trix Rabbit Finally Got to Eat His Own Cereal

    Tour de Trix: How the Trix Rabbit Finally Got to Eat His Own Cereal

    By Heather Taylor The long defeated Trix Rabbit has only officially eaten a bowl of his own cereal three times. His first bowl was partially consumed in 1976. The Rabbit dressed up as a balloon seller to trade balloons to kids in exchange for a bowl full of Trix. As he gobbled up spoonfuls of raspberry red, lemony yellow, and…

  • Celebrating 30 Years of Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Love

    Celebrating 30 Years of Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Love

    By Heather Taylor Happy birthday, Auntie Anne’s! Over the last three decades, foodies everywhere have snacked on the freshly baked and oh-so-soft pretzels created at Auntie Anne’s. What started as a humble pretzel and lemonade stand has since exploded into a beloved franchise with locations at shopping malls and airports in cities across the United States. These pretzels are so…

  • Introducing Jane Walker, the First Female Iteration for Johnnie Walker Black Label

    Introducing Jane Walker, the First Female Iteration for Johnnie Walker Black Label

    By Heather Taylor See Jane represent. For the very first time, legacy Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker has debuted a female iteration of its famous Striding Man logo in recognition of women who lead the way. The new design can be spotted on bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label The Jane Walker Edition everywhere beginning in March. The Striding Man…

  • The Legend of Jean LaFoote

    The Legend of Jean LaFoote

    By Heather Taylor Ahoy, 360 readers! You know all about Horatio Magellen Crunch, AKA Cap’n Crunch, and his adventures across the Milk Sea in the S.S. Guppy but what about his greatest nemesis, the pirate Jean LaFoote? If you’ve never heard of him, let us take you on a voyage of discovery to learn more about the character and how…

  • Throwback: Mr. Bubble

    Throwback: Mr. Bubble

    By Heather Taylor Splish splash! For more than 50 years, Mr. Bubble has been America’s favorite bath time buddy for kids of all ages as one of the top-selling bubble baths. From powdered flakes to liquid bubble bath and now even bath bombs, here’s a look back at how Mr. Bubble has spent over five decades making getting clean almost…

  • Who is That Man on the Whitman’s Sampler Box?

    Who is That Man on the Whitman’s Sampler Box?

    By Heather Taylor What could be sweeter on Valentine’s Day than a box of chocolates? We all know that every Whitman’s Sampler has an assortment of chocolates inside, but few may know much about the iconic man in the middle of every box. Who is this bearer of sweet treats? He’s the Whitman’s Messenger Boy. Now owned by Russell Stover…

  • Meet the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby, Lucas!

    Meet the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby, Lucas!

    By Heather Taylor Anything for baby! The 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby has been announced, and the winning photo from the eighth annual photo search is Lucas Warren. Originally from Dalton, Georgia, Lucas is the first child with Down syndrome to be named a Gerber Spokesbaby. With more than 140,000 entries submitted, Lucas’ winning photo won over judges with his giggly grin…

  • Throwback: Wally Bird from Western Airlines

    Throwback: Wally Bird from Western Airlines

    By Heather Taylor Western Airlines was caught in between a rock and a hard place shortly after World War II ended. The airline, which had been continuously operating since 1926, lacked the financial resources that other industry giants like United and American enjoyed and tried to figure out how they could catch up. Rather than chase the competition, they decided…

  • Design Evolution: The Cheerios Kid and Sue

    Design Evolution: The Cheerios Kid and Sue

    By Heather Taylor Before BuzzBee flew onto the cereal scene, Cheerios had a little boy and girl as their brand mascots — The Cheerios Kid and Sue. Created by Joe Harris (also credited for creating Underdog the Trix Rabbit), The Cheerios Kid was a solidary figure when he made his debut in the 1950s. He would rescue damsels in distress…

  • Glimpse Inside the Peanut Pals: An Exclusive Club for Mr. Peanut Collectors

    Glimpse Inside the Peanut Pals: An Exclusive Club for Mr. Peanut Collectors

    If you’re a die-hard fan of the Planters icon Mr. Peanut, you might just be a member of the Peanut Pals. Founded by Judith Walthall in 1978, the Peanut Pals is a non-profit club organization for Mr. Peanut collectors. If you love to collect Mr. Peanut memorabilia, you’d be right at home alongside the 400+ members that have been meeting…

  • How An Airport Delay Led to McGruff’s Creation

    How An Airport Delay Led to McGruff’s Creation

    By Heather Taylor Most brand mascots tend to be created at tables and desks, inside of homes and advertising agencies — not airport lounges. But McGruff the Crime Dog, the icon representing The National Crime Prevention Council, has never been like most mascots. In 1979, Jack Keil was just another stranded airport passenger trying to make his way home. Back…

  • Who (or What) is ampm’s Toomgis?

    Who (or What) is ampm’s Toomgis?

    By Heather Taylor If you’ve ever stopped by an ampm location, chances are you might have encountered this unusual character as you were drinking up or chowing down. He’s got hair made out of red licorice, a beard full of cheese curls, a torso covered in potato chips, and cinnamon roll palms with hot dog wieners for fingers. Look even…

  • Who Was the Coca-Cola Sprite Boy?

    Who Was the Coca-Cola Sprite Boy?

    By Heather Taylor If you didn’t know any better, you might assume that Coca-Cola’s “Sprite Boy” was a brand mascot created for one of their most famous soft drinks, Sprite. However, in an M. Night Shyamalan-esque twist within the world of big brands, Sprite Boy had nothing to do with the lemon-lime soda. In fact, he made his debut in…

  • After 20 Years, AOL’s Yellow Running Man Has Retired

    After 20 Years, AOL’s Yellow Running Man Has Retired

    By Heather Taylor It’s officially the end of a tech era: AOL Instant Messenger will be discontinued on Friday December 15, 2017. While fans that that grew up with or ever used AIM will be in mourning over the chat app’s shutdown, some might wonder whatever happened to its iconic yellow Running Man mascot who remained our ever-faithful Buddy List…

  • Creating the Characters: Moz the Monster for John Lewis

    Creating the Characters: Moz the Monster for John Lewis

    By Heather Taylor Few televised spots are as anticipated each year as the Christmas ads from UK retailer John Lewis. This year’s campaign is no exception, as the world was introduced to Moz the Monster. At seven feet tall, Moz could easily be a cousin to one of the Wild Things in the Maurice Sendak classic Where the Wild Things…