Tag: PopIcon

Have you ever wondered how the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company settled on a hitch of Clydesdales horses to promote Budweiser beer? For more than 80 years, the Clydesdales have been icons on behalf of the brand’s brew dating from the Prohibition era to Super Bowl Sunday. Giddy up, AW 360 readers, and join us on a sleigh ride into the past…

By Heather Taylor As part of their landmark 75th birthday celebration in 2016, M&M’s collaborated with singer Aloe Blacc and DJ Zedd for a modern-day remix of Sammy Davis Jr.’s hit single “The Candy Man.” BBDO New York created commercials that sampled the sweet tune’s cover, and a full-length music video was also made to accompany the spots. The music…

Behind Target Corporation’s famous Bullseye logo is another hugely popular icon that goes by the same name — Bullseye, their official brand mascot. Bullseye is a Bull Terrier who has starred in ad campaigns for the brand as early as the 1990s, winning over the hearts of fans and Target shoppers everywhere. As we head into the 2017 holiday season,…

By Heather Taylor If you’ve ever spotted a delivery truck from Bimbo Bakeries, you’ve probably seen the image of an adorable, fuzzy bear wearing an apron painted on the truck’s side. This is Osito, the Bimbo Bear mascot for Grupo Bimbo and Bimbo Bakeries USA. If you weren’t able to head to this year’s Rise & Shine Tour where Osito…

By Heather Taylor Few meals were as beloved in the 1980s and 1990s as the round wheel of sauce, cheese, meats, and veggies that ruled over any other dinner option for kids or adults: I’m talking about pizza! The Olsen Twins even sang a now-Internet famous ditty all about the toppings they’d put on their dream pizza in the 1995…

By Heather Taylor Pop down the baked goods aisle at any grocery store and you’ll see her grinning face on packages of Swiss Cake Rolls, Cosmic Brownies, and Zebra Cakes. We’re talking about Little Debbie of course, the snack brand that is part of McKee Foods Corporation. However, few may realize that this famous face was actually based on a…

By Heather Taylor “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin!” Well before the creation of their current animated bear mascots, Procter & Gamble’s Charmin toilet paper had another incredibly iconic spokesperson in Mr. Whipple. Making his debut in 1964, Mr. George Whipple would spend more than 20 years promoting the “squeezable softness” of Charmin and becoming a beloved character of the advertising…

By Heather Taylor If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect costume to wear to the agency Halloween party this year, you’ve come to the right place. Why not go as a beloved brand mascot? From the ultra-charismatic Most Interesting Man in the World, to the iconic Morton Salt Girl, advertising pros at agencies across the nation weighed in…

By Heather Taylor In 2016, a young girl called Eleven wandered into a grocery store and openly shoplifted four boxes of Kellogg’s Eggo waffles. Oh, and she got away with it using her psychokinetic abilities. What might sound like a trending Twitter Moments story is actually one of the most memorable scenes from the Netflix original series, Stranger Things. In…

By Heather Taylor “I don’t wanna grow up! I’m a Toys”R”Us kid!” Who among us didn’t know the words to that jingle when they were growing up, begged their parents to take them to the nearest Toys”R”Us store, or circled dozens of toys and games that they wanted in the yearly holiday catalogs? It’s a safe bet to say that…

By Heather Taylor Drumroll, please! The votes are officially in — on Monday, September 25, 2017; brand mascots celebrated Advertising Week’s 14th Annual Madison Avenue Walk of Fame — the advertising industry’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame — by inducting the year’s most iconic mascots and slogans. 26 characters were nominated this year with many familiar and fresh…

By Heather Taylor AW360 readers, we’re back to visiting the wonderfully magical McDonaldland! In our last post, we discovered more about Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Birdie the Early Bird. Now, let’s take a look at some of the lesser-known icons in McDonaldland that were part of Ronald’s BFF squad. The Happy Meal Gang + McNugget BuddiesIntroduced in: 1984.Portrayed/voiced…

By Heather Taylor Can you imagine a world without brand mascots? As we celebrate the 2017 Madison Avenue Walk of Fame, we’re reminded of its previous recipients. Characters like the GEICO Gecko, Coca-Cola Polar Bears, Pillsbury Doughboy, and Tony the Tiger have all been past winners. These mascots, as well as the many others who have also won, share more…

By Heather Taylor “Up in the Valley of the Jolly Green GiantLives the guy they call the Little Green Sprout.” In September 1972, a mysterious new visitor arrived to the Green Giant’s Valley. Much like the beloved harvest icon, this new character was green and dressed in leaves. He was also pint-sized, to the point where he could easily fit into…

By Heather Taylor If a brand mascot could take over your ad agency’s social media handles for the day, who would you want it to be? No, seriously: which character would you bestow the keys (AKA login information) to for your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts? From Allstate’s Mayhem hosting Instagram Live to selfies snapped from the M&M’s, advertising execs…

By Heather Taylor Before the Nesquik Bunny hopped onto grocery shelves and decades before streaming television, a spunky pup harmonized about the delicious taste of chocolate-flavored milk on black and white TV screens everywhere. His name was Farfel and with the help of ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson and his dummy Danny O’Day, the trio would create and perform a jingle for Nestlé’s Nesquik that would…

By Heather Taylor Happy National Root Beer Float Day! We can’t think of anyone better to enjoy this holiday with than the legendary Rooty, also known as the Great Root Bear at A&W Restaurants. Mix yourself a frosty cold root beer float and join us for a look back at this spokesbear’s life and times. (And we’ll try not to get…

By Heather Taylor “Squeeze the fun out of it!” If you were a child of the 1990s, or even the late 1980s, you know exactly what this tagline is for: Squeezit! Making its debut in grocery stores everywhere in 1985, Squeezit drinks came in four different flavors including red punch, orange, grape, and cherry. But it wound up standing out…

By Heather Taylor For more than 120 years, consumers everywhere have been snacking on the crunchy, sweet taste of caramel coated popcorn and peanuts found inside boxes (and now bags) of Cracker Jack. And for those who have truly grown up with the sweet treat, they’ll also recall enjoying the small prizes packed inside. Each package featured a little boy…