{"id":19834,"date":"2020-02-24T19:11:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T00:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/?p=19834"},"modified":"2026-09-16T19:12:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T23:12:28","slug":"what-do-brand-mascots-need-to-survive-give-each-character-a-nanny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/what-do-brand-mascots-need-to-survive-give-each-character-a-nanny\/19834\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Brand Mascots Need to Survive? Give Each Character a Nanny"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Heather Taylor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John Bowman was at a restaurant in Rhode Island with his grandson when the pair spotted an iconic character at the establishment. A poster of Poppin\u2019 Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy, graced the restaurant\u2019s wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bowman knew the little guy well enough. His advertising background spanned decades including famous agencies like N.W. Ayer &amp; Son, D\u2019Arcy Masius Benton &amp; Bowles (DMB&amp;B), and Saatchi &amp; Saatchi. He first became acquainted with Pillsbury\u2019s friendly brand mascot in 1998. The character was part of Pillsbury three-part lexicon: the Pillsbury Doughboy is a teacher, helper, and friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Bowman\u2019s time spent with the Doughboy occurred well before his grandson was born. What does today\u2019s generation think of these characters? Do they know the Doughboy? What about other beloved icons like Tony the Tiger or Ronald McDonald? How familiar are modern audiences with brand mascots?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the eyes of the tiny tot, the Pillsbury Doughboy went by a different name. Bowman\u2019s grandson called him a \u201clittle creamy chef.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Mr. Peanut can successfully Benjamin Button himself to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MrPeanut\">#BabyNut<\/a> in 2020, maybe the Pillsbury Doughboy can adopt a #CreamyChef status. But it\u2019s not up to Poppin\u2019 Fresh to make this decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What this character, and all characters, need is their own nanny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-ask-yourself-do-you-want-your-maypo\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ask yourself: do you want your Maypo?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where did all the brand mascots go? It\u2019s a curious question to ask anyone who grew up watching advertising\u2019s golden age of commercials and later spent their adult life working for some of the world\u2019s most renowned agencies. Even I, a person who identifies with the \u201conly \u201890s kids will remember\u201d meme, can\u2019t quite figure out when characters began to fade out. Let\u2019s try to go back to the beginning and connect the dots to find out where they went. (There\u2019s not enough room inside the Keebler Hollow Tree for everyone to hide out, in case you thought about looking there first.)<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Good &amp;apos;N Plenty   Choo Choo Charlie for President\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OZV4yjLP7v0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growing up, Bowman loved jingles as much as he loved brand mascots. One of his favorites was the Good &amp; Plenty classic \u201cChoo Choo Charlie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOf my five decades in advertising, jingles are the most memorable and powerful persuaders,\u201d Bowman says, \u201cThey have even more of an impact when merged with a mascot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Maypo Cereal Commercial with Marky Maypo 1956\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JAAfgZm5j1k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember Maypo instant oatmeal? In these commercials, Marky Maypo famously yelps out, <em>\u201cI want my Maypo!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why does Marky want this oatmeal? He doesn\u2019t want it because he\u2019s the brand\u2019s mascot. Initially, the only thing he wants is his cowboy hat. His dad takes the hat away when Marky refuses to eat the cereal. Dad tries, but he can\u2019t convince Marky to eat the new breakfast cereal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, he has a lightbulb moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dad puts on Marky\u2019s cowboy hat and pretends to be a cowboy. Cowboys wear hats \u2014 and they eat Maypo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suddenly, Marky wants his Maypo!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maypo\u2019s 1956 commercials sparked an absolute love for characters in Bowman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat you\u2019re seeing through the thrill of animation is this is how you get what you want \u2014 as a kid, that is,\u201d Bowman explains, \u201cMarky Maypo wants Maypo. I wanted Maypo too! It empowered me as a child.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/pillsbury_darcy_agency_2002.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11452\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-an-agency-in-a-box\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cAn Agency In A Box!\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1973, Bowman began working at his first agency \u2014 N.W. Ayer &amp; Son in Philadelphia, the oldest advertising agency in the United States. He was a graduate from Rutgers University with an English major. Initially, he wanted to become a poet. Advertising was an industry Bowman describes he \u201cgot into on accident.\u201d He carved out a name for himself, but not just as a writer. Before leaving N.W. Ayer &amp; Son in 1999, Bowman had become \u201cAn Agency In A Box.\u201d He held jobs ranging from creative to research to traffic and production. Bowman helped launch iconic ad campaigns, including \u201cBe All You Can Be\u201d for the U.S. Army and \u201cReach Out And Touch Someone\u201d for AT&amp;T.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne legendary agency enabled me to live up to all my advertising goals,\u201d Bowman recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Out of everything he did, Bowman\u2019s favorite job was being a moderator. He spent 15 years at Ayer as their Director of Developmental Labs. This was a proprietary process and group that traveled around the country and throughout the world to talk to consumers. Bowman interviewed people on behalf of clients and learned about their dreams and desires. Then, he worked to translate those dreams into insights and ideas that would motivate clients, creatives, and consumers to engage with the brands. Therein lies that emotional connection, the one that turns an ordinary brand into a beloved brand. It\u2019s the kind of connection that earns public trust \u2014 and where brand mascots embrace their lively natures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-key-to-keeping-the-green-giant-relevant\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The key to keeping the Green Giant relevant.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1999, Bowman moved on to work at D\u2019Arcy Masius Benton &amp; Bowles (DMB&amp;B). Between ad agencies in 1998, he worked on his first assignment for Pillsbury and one of the first commercials the Doughboy was in for Toaster Strudel. DMB&amp;B acquired the Pillsbury account, but Bowman was facing a giant challenge\u2026 one of Green Giant proportions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Green Giant, initially created at Leo Burnett (enhanced personally by Leo himself), was trying to move into the real world. DMB&amp;B had won the business and was attempting to figure out how he would interact with people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Historically, the Green Giant had stumbled before with consumers. The Green Giant account once belonged to the Minnesota Valley Canning Company. In the 1920s, the Green Giant wasn\u2019t a giant. He was an orange, grim gnome who wore bearskin. Burnett retooled his look to be leafy and green with the word \u201cJolly\u201d added in front of \u201cGreen Giant.\u201d Audiences loved the new look of the Green Giant in the 1930s and 1940s.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Scary Green Giant!\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M_fxLZb_qXY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, the Green Giant made his first TV commercial appearance in 1958. Successful? No. Scary? <em>Yes.<\/em> Former Leo Burnett Creative Director Bob Noel described the debut as, \u201cThe Green Giant moved like a monster and scared little children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three years later in 1961, the Green Giant came back to TV commercials. He resided in the Valley, but stood far off in the distance. He bent down to lend a hand and in deep good humor murmured \u201cHo, ho, ho!\u201d as a catchphrase. Audiences liked that. A pint-size apprentice named Sprout later joined him in the Valley in the 1970s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, you want to bring the Green Giant to the real world? Not just any real world, but the tail end of the 1990s? According to Bowman, the issue wasn\u2019t about making the Green Giant relevant. You couldn\u2019t slap a pair of sunglasses on him and call it a day. The Giant needed to return to the Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe reignited the Valley of imagination where the Green Giant lives,\u201d Bowman says. The Valley was what drew consumers to the Giant. Bowman and his creative partners created several successful animated commercials where the Giant was brought out of the Valley. The \u201cHo, ho, ho!\u201d catchphrase returned in a jingle format. Even Sprout returned! These familiar faces were back in the fold and memorable to those that had missed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-meeting-the-pillsbury-doughboy-s-nanny\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Meeting the Pillsbury Doughboy\u2019s nanny.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pillsbury - My Heart to yours\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K4haOmxm0T4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Out of any mascot Bowman worked on, he describes the Pillsbury Doughboy as the most beloved. \u201cHe\u2019s childlike in his appearance and the way he moves, but he\u2019s also wise,\u201d Bowman says. \u201cBecause he\u2019s made of \u2018popping fresh dough\u2019 he\u2019s never been a threat to homemakers. The Doughboy\u2019s magical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many brand mascots, the Pillsbury Doughboy came with a character bible. He also had his own brand nanny, Nannies plural, that is. The Pillsbury Company kept more than one nanny on hand as the keeper of the Doughboy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/john_bowman_lee_anne_stoddart.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11450\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1999, Bowman started working on the new Pillsbury campaign for Toaster Strudel: \u201cMy heart to yours.\u201d During this time he met Lee Anne Stoddart, the Doughboy\u2019s nanny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re wondering how to get a job as a brand mascot nanny, you\u2019ll need a great big heart for the icon. The campaign made a song out of the phrase \u201cMy heart to yours\u201d which became a beloved part of the Pillsbury legend. Bowman recalls that Lee Anne \u201chad a heart for this [the campaign and its brand mascot].\u201d She even gave the entire creative team luggage with the Doughboy\u2019s face stitched into the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A brand nanny must also recognize their job, too. It was not Lee Anne\u2019s job to be the brand manager of strudel. \u201cLee Anne had the characteristics of being a nanny,\u201d Bowman says. \u201cShe loves, nourishes, and protects the child, but recognizes the child has parents and still acts as the nanny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/pillsbury_times_saquare_newsstand_2002.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11454\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-where-do-brand-mascots-abide-and-live\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where do brand mascots abide and live?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between DMB&amp;B and Saatchi &amp; Saatchi, Bowman was able to work alongside characters he had known as a kid. He put Lucky from Lucky Charms behind the driver\u2019s seat in a <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/oral-history-calabash-animation-part-1\">\u201cCar Chase\u201d commercial<\/a> to attract the college kid market and guided icons like the Trix Rabbit and Cheerios\u2019 Buzz Bee forward.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hCtUjWWIuLA\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hCtUjWWIuLA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bowman was also involved with the <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/charmin-mr-whipple\/\">Charmin Bears<\/a> from their inception at DMB&amp;B\u2019s London office. DMB&amp;B London had developed a menagerie of forest characters for Charmin, based on the timeless \u201cwhere the bear sh*ts in the forest\u201d joke. The star with consumers was a bear, made all the more loveable and adorable as a family of bears. Their signature move was that \u201cCha-cha-cha-Charmin!\u201d tushy shake with the toilet paper. <em>Et voil\u00e0 <\/em>\u2014 brand mascots merged successfully with a jingle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where brand mascots have been all along. They\u2019re not hiding out in the Keebler Hollow Tree. Characters are in our imaginations and surround us in the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMascots abide in the powerful realm of imagination, while they simultaneously live in the world with people,\u201d Bowman says.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Marvel&amp;apos;s Avengers: Endgame - GEICO\" width=\"1240\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3HW2aMVJrXM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Characters connect with children, and the child inside all of us, in a manner that goes beyond everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are heroes that live within characters,\u201d Bowman says, citing mascots like the GEICO Gecko as modern icons that possess timeless appeal, \u201cPeople<em> need<\/em> timeless, beloved characters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to thrive \u2014 and survive \u2014 in today\u2019s cultural, social, and practical obstacles, the heroes inside of characters require consistent nourishment. Brand champions and nannies may help preserve and promote their effectiveness, according to Bowman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because, like most heroes, many struggle to understand the full power of brand mascots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve helped brand mascots rise and witnessed them fall,\u201d Bowman says. \u201cChampions and nannies can empower these icons beyond quarterly plans. Their accumulated wisdom and ongoing investments will ensure they thrive and continue acting as the living heart and lasting manifestation for their brand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Image Credits: John Bowman<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Heather Taylor John Bowman was at a restaurant in Rhode Island with his grandson when the pair spotted an iconic character at the establishment. A poster of Poppin\u2019 Fresh, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":19835,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15],"topics":[2],"class_list":["post-19834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-popicon","topics-editorial"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.5 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Do Brand Mascots Need to Survive? 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