_Editorial

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…

By Heather Taylor Who’s ready to get cheesy? We’re taking a stroll back through ‘90s memory lane with some of our favorite Kraft brand mascots: Cheesasaurus Rex and the Dairy Fairy. They’re the cream of the crop to us — let’s get to know them better! In 1991, the animated Cheesasaurus Rex made his debut representing Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. A…

What’s black, white, and winking all over? It’s none other than the QQ Penguin, the adorable brand mascot behind Tencent QQ. For readers unfamiliar with the company, QQ is an instant messaging platform for PC and mobile devices that has grown to be one of China’s biggest social platforms among young Chinese users. With 861 million active monthly user accounts, QQ lets users communicate…

By Heather Taylor Earlier this week, the Internet discovered that the Pillsbury Doughboy’s real name is Poppin’ Fresh — and it was a moment that left everyone “shook.” But what if I was to tell you that this is just the tip of the iceberg in surprises you may not know about Mr. Fresh? One of the first posts I ever wrote…

On June 1, Carvel’s own Fudgie the Whale celebrated a sweet milestone as he hit the big 4-0. For anyone unfamiliar with the birthday boy, Fudgie the Whale is one of Carvel’s ice cream cake characters that inspired a signature ice cream cake made in his likeness. For the past four decades, Fudgie has been having a whale of a good time…