_Editorial

By Heather Taylor Meet David and Gigi. Just like the humans we see on any given episode of House Hunters, these two lovebirds are searching for the next perfect space to call home. Only David and Gigi actually are birds — a pair of animated, colorful hummingbirds — and their dream home is anywhere they can perch their nest. Or…

By Heather Taylor Roll that beautiful bean footage again, Sam. On July 3rd, the BUSH’S Beans Facebook account shared news that Sam, a golden retriever that had portrayed their brand mascot Duke in commercial spots, had passed away. While it has been years since Sam last worked with the brand, BUSH’S Beans expressed sadness over his passing and gratitude to have…

By Heather Taylor The biggest blockbuster of the summer isn’t part of the Marvel or Jurassic Park franchise. “Death Road,” a new TV spot for Burger King France from agency Buzzman, is a heart-stopping, chest-pounding, apocalyptic thrill ride where a chicken and a cone of French fries finally come face to face for the ultimate fast food showdown. Set in…

By Heather Taylor By now, it’s highly likely that you’ve munched on an Eskimo Pie. We take the creamy milk chocolate ‘n vanilla treat for granted as a freezer staple today, but it was actually patented in 1922 as America’s first chocolate-covered ice cream bar. According to the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History, Christian Kent Nelson…

By Heather Taylor Nearly two weeks ago, we reported that Ernie Keebler and his merry band of Elves had uprooted their magical Hollow Tree to the heart of New York City for a special pop-up event in honor of Keebler’s new Whoopsy! Fudge Stripes cookies. Turns out a branch of the Keebler “FacTree” actually runs right into SoHo! While I…

By Heather Taylor Seth Werner still remembers the night he came up with the idea for the California Raisins. The year was 1986. Back then, Werner was 31-years-old and had been living and working in San Francisco, California for a year at the ad agency Foote Cone Belding. Mike Koelker, famous for creating the Levi’s “501 Blues” campaign, hired Werner…

By Heather Taylor The few giant characters we encounter in the advertising space have always proven to be great helpers. When we first meet the giant featured in the “Palau Pledge” campaign, however, he seems more like foe than friend to the country’s citizens. The unnamed, lavender colored giant arrives out of nowhere one day. He stomps on the island’s…

By Heather Taylor No need to check the date again while reading this — it’s not April 1st and we promise this post isn’t a joke. Fudgie the Whale, the beloved icon for Carvel ice cream, has his own beer. If you haven’t already tried it, the brew is described as a creamy stout made with hints of those famous…

By Heather Taylor Welcome to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia! Loyal fans of the sporting event may recall that the candidate for Russia’s mascot — then known as “Wolf” — was introduced in 2016. Since his initial debut, more than one million Russians cast their votes during the month-long voting period to pick his name. Wolf was renamed “Zabivaka”…

By Heather Taylor Have you heard of Jif Jaf? Launched by Kraft Heinz, Jif Jaf is a line of chocolate sandwich biscuits that recently debuted in China. Also available in wafer packs and butter cookies, the brand is meant to target Chinese millennials who are caught in a tug of war in wanting to fit in but also embrace their…

By Heather Taylor Whether on the go or on your TV, the $36 Billion a year industry is rapidly becoming the entertainment standard that all others aspire to be. Gaming is everywhere, but where’s the best place to be if you’re a gamer yourself? A recent WalletHub survey gives a look at 2018’s Best Cities for Gamers. WalletHub analyzed things like…

By Heather Taylor In honor of National Fudge Day on June 16th, Ernie Keebler and his elf buddies are uprooting the Keebler Hollow Tree to the Big Apple for an exclusive pop-up event. If you’re familiar with the Keebler Elves, then you’ll know that the Hollow Tree is where some of their most scrumptious delights — including cookies and crackers…

By Heather Taylor For decades, our four-legged friends have been spotted in ad campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the world. More often than not, however, it’s the dogs that consumers remember most afterwards. From Gidget, the itty-bitty Chihuahua who had us all saying “Yo Quiero Taco Bell!” in the 1990s to Bullseye, the Bull Terrier nearly everyone…

By Heather Taylor she is quick and curious and playful and strong. she is a voracious reader and a fantastic dancer. she saves old snapshots, but always loses her umbrella. her emails pile up, but she never forgets to call her grandmother. she has $7 in change at the bottom of her handbag. When news broke on Tuesday June 5,…

By Heather Taylor Throughout the 1970s, Hostess established a series of personalities for their iconic baked goods — Twinkie the Kid, Captain Cupcake, King Ding Dong, and Happy Ho Ho. And that’s not even the full list of characters! Designed by animator Don Duga, famous for creating Frosty the Snowman and Mr. Magoo, there were no other mascots on the…

By Heather Taylor The Qantas Koala may be the only spokesanimal to badmouth the brand he represented and get away with it. But, in the icon’s defense, he had a really good reason for expressing so much disdain towards the popular Australian airline, Qantas. Tourists traveled to the land down under not to sight see at famous locales like the…

By Heather Taylor Most gnomes tend to spend their days hanging out in a garden or backyard. Not the Roaming Gnome! As the brand mascot for online travel agency Travelocity, the Roaming Gnome loves nothing better than travelling the world. He’s been spotted sightseeing domestically throughout the United States and internationally, hitting up hot locales like Jamaica and Santorini. He…

By Heather Taylor This February, experts in the advertising space joined us for a roundtable discussion on how brands and agencies can better redefine female representation in brand mascots. It’s always refreshing to see brands step up to the plate and address these issues, and Otter Pops is leading the pack forward. The freezer pop staple has created new members…

By Heather Taylor When you think of La Choy, the brand of canned American Chinese foods, does a fire-breathing dragon come to mind? If it doesn’t, you might have forgotten about Delbert the Dragon who served as the brief but memorable puppet mascot in the 1960s. According to Diana Kuan, author of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Quick and Easy Dishes…

By Heather Taylor Most tourists head to New York City to visit the Statue of Liberty in her emerald splendor. Now, they’ll get to snap selfies with another green icon taking over Times Square. Iconic vegetable brand Green Giant, and its beloved harvest mascot, made his larger than life debut in billboard ads at the north end of Times Square…