_Editorial

By Heather Taylor Oh yeah? Oh no! On Monday March 9th, Kool-Aid tweeted that their beloved brand mascot has gone missing. The initial tweet said “The big red pitcher has left the building!” and was full of red alarm emojis. Not since the auto theft of the NUTmobile in 2017 has there been such a need to put out an…

By Heather Taylor Is Halloween canceled? Not when the Kool-Aid Man is on your side! In 2020, the Kool-Aid Man is encouraging kids stuck at home on October’s most spooktacular night to reverse trick-or-treat alongside the iconic pitcher. What’s Reverse Trick-or-Treating? The CDC has advised against traditional trick-or-treating amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This means, at least in 2020, that kids…

By Heather Taylor Kevin the Carrot, the adventurous brand mascot for Aldi UK, has a penchant for getting into mishaps during the holidays. Ad agency McCann UK gets a kick out of creating teaser spots of blockbuster proportions leading up to Aldi UK’s final holiday commercial. Kevin the Carrot, much like 2020 itself, is struggling to navigate a year full…

By Heather Taylor Nobody has a thicker skin in the advertising industry than a brand mascot. Iconic characters like Cap’n Crunch, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and the Aflac Duck wear an absurd amount of hats. They have to constantly sell a product, but never ask for a raise, benefits, or PTO. As they age, characters like the Green Giant and Keebler…

By Heather Taylor Advertising Week’s nominees for the 2019 Madison Avenue Walk of Fame Awards have arrived! Cast your vote for your favorite advertising icon and join us at #AWNewYork 2019 as we announce the two winners inducted into the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame! Who will win? Will it be longtime icons like McGruff the Crime Dog or the…

By Heather Taylor Crestline, a custom promotional products company, recently revealed the results of a survey about the most memorable brand mascots in the United States. The survey broke down memorable icons by various age groups including baby boomers and Gen Z. Who’s the most memorable character for baby boomers? Miss Blue Bonnet from Blue Bonnet butters and margarine spreads…

By Heather Taylor Legend — or rather, Drake’s Cakes lore — has it that a duck named Webster was born to be the face of the snack brand. You can’t miss him on Drake’s Cakes snack packaging. Webster is clad in a chef’s hat with an orange neckerchief, bright orange beak, and giant grin across his face. How did such…

By Heather Taylor Few characters have mastered the art of crashing quite like Kool-Aid’s iconic Kool-Aid Man. After spending his early years in advertising as the “Pitcher Man,” an ice-cold pitcher full of the flavored drink mix, Kool-Aid brought their business to Grey Advertising in 1975. Under the guidance of creative director Robert Skollar, the Pitcher Man became the Kool-Aid…

By Heather Taylor For six decades, the Clio Awards have awarded the crème de la crème in advertising campaigns and celebrated the industry as a whole. With the next awards ceremony slated for September 25th, the Clios are embracing the golden age of advertising. Illustrator Sam Spratt has captured some of the ad world’s most famous creatives, and their respective…

By Heather Taylor Killing the star in advertising usually applies to characters we love to hate, like the Raid Bugs. Hingie, the new face of dating app Hinge, is a character made for feeling the warm fuzzies. He’ll do anything for love including die. Repeatedly. Over and over again all in the name of true romance. Hinge: The Dating App…

By Heather Taylor In 1944, Smokey Bear made his debut in a new PSA ad campaign from the USDA Forest Service, Ad Council, and National Association of State Foresters (NASF) in partnership with ad agency FCB. Designed by USFS employee Rudolph Wendelin, Smokey wore a ranger’s hat and belted blue jeans. He carried a shovel in one paw. Three years…

By Heather Taylor Sixty years ago, the world met a rabbit that had a problem. This rabbit didn’t like to eat carrots. He loved munching on Trix, the corn cereal with fruit flavors. It was the Trix Rabbit, a rabbit that loved Trix so much he could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, children were always there to…

By Heather Taylor The world lost a very special character talent this weekend with the passing of Russi Taylor. For more than 30 years, the voiceover actress was Disney’s iconic Minnie Mouse. Taylor was also known for her work on The Simpsons as Bart Simpson’s nerdy classmate Martin Prince. In the advertising landscape, Taylor lent her vocal range to another…

By Heather Taylor The world lost a very special character talent this weekend with the passing of Russi Taylor. For more than 30 years, the voiceover actress was Disney’s iconic Minnie Mouse. Taylor was also known for her work on The Simpsons as Bart Simpson’s nerdy classmate Martin Prince. In the advertising landscape, Taylor lent her vocal range to another…

By Heather Taylor Animal, the pork sausage mascot for U.K. snack brand Peperami, is back in the spotlight! He’s not alone either. Animal’s beefing up commercial spots with a little help from his new protein-loving pals, Chicken and Beef. “We Are Animal” Created by ad agency Atomic London, the latest Peperami advertisement “We Are Animal” features two new mascots. They’re…

By Heather Taylor “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for a tiger and rooster!” We might have paraphrased astronaut Neil Armstong’s famous quote when he first stepped on the moon just a little bit. 50 years ago on July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins declared liftoff in Apollo 11 and landed on…

By Heather Taylor “What if we can make a change in the lives of children with cancer right now?” This is the question that opens a video for insurance company Aflac’s ongoing Aflac Childhood Cancer Campaign. It’s a difficult question to answer, one that left many families hopeful that their children will be able to win the battle against the…

By Heather Taylor Hot diggity dog! Fans of Oscar Mayer hot dogs have the opportunity of a lifetime to call the iconic Wienermobile home. Airbnb, Meet The Wienermobile! The Wienermobile is officially listed on Airbnb with reservations officially rolling out beginning July 24th. For one night only (sorry — visits can’t turn into lengthy staycations), guests will enjoy an overnight…

By Heather Taylor What happens when the iconic face for finger lickin’ good chicken meets a cheetah famous for dangerously cheesy snacks? Cheetos’ Chester Cheetah is officially the latest iteration of KFC’s Colonel Harland Sanders. The First Brand Mascot To Portray Colonel Sanders Over the last few years, several celebrities have stepped into Colonel Sanders’ famous white suit. Everyone from…