{"id":7780,"date":"2025-01-13T12:16:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T17:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2025\/01\/13\/4-oddball-brand-mascots-loved-by-the-advertising-community\/"},"modified":"2025-01-13T12:16:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T17:16:19","slug":"4-oddball-brand-mascots-loved-by-the-advertising-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/4-oddball-brand-mascots-loved-by-the-advertising-community\/7780\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Oddball Brand Mascots Loved By the Advertising Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three of my favorite brand mascots \u2014 the Pillsbury Doughboy, <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/putting-the-kool-back-in-kool-aid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kool-Aid Man<\/a>, and the McNugget Buddies from McDonald\u2019s \u2014 all have something in common with one another. Objectively speaking, they\u2019re all weirdos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kool Aid   &amp;apos; Commercial, 1978\" width=\"1240\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FlEnG2lkaqU?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>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naturally, my personal bias is I think all three are delightful. I\u2019ll giggle with the Doughboy, shout \u201cOh, yeah!\u201d alongside the Kool-Aid Man, and grin at whatever daffy hijinks the McNugget Buddies are up to this time. When I take a step back and view these characters through an ordinary set of eyes, I\u2019m aware it looks like I lost my marbles. I\u2019m gung-ho for a pile of dough, a pitcher of sugary water, and chicken nuggets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then again, so is the rest of America with their own respective fan favorites like an encouraging striped tiger or insurance-hawking British gecko. That\u2019s the power of great advertising and brand mascots. I\u2019m emotionally bonded to these characters, and their respective brands, likely for the rest of my life since they\u2019ve been with me since childhood. This kind of trust has been baked in for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside my own oddball favs, I wondered what other unusual brand mascots the rest of adland has a great affinity for and why. Here\u2019s who came out on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frosted Strawberry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Breakfast toaster pastry brand Pop-Tarts made headlines in 2023 when they announced their Frosted Strawberry flavored Pop-Tart would be the first-ever Edible Mascot during the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Weber Shandwick, which partnered with Pop-Tarts to bring the mascot to edible life and consumption, said it was the brand\u2019s biggest earned campaign ever with more than four billion impressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pop_tarts_strawberry.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In June 2024, Pop-Tarts received the Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The brand also returned for the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl with three edible mascots, including Frosted Cinnamon Roll, Frosted Wild Berry, and Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae, to triple the Game Day ante. Frosted Cinnamon Roll, a formerly discontinued flavor, was even available to shop for a limited-time online via the Pop-Tarts website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accolades aside, Pop-Tarts\u2019 dark sense of humor towards all four of its edible mascots has made the activation particularly memorable with the advertising community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow can you not like seeing a giant Pop-Tart cheerfully descend into a toaster, only to reemerge lightly toasted and promptly devoured by football players during a College Bowl game?\u201d asked Riani Kenyon, Behavioral Analyst at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canvas8.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canvas8<\/a>, a consumer insights agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey weren&#8217;t just there; they were there to provide genuine entertainment. To reemphasize, players literally dug into the toasted corpse of the mascot. What more could you ask for from a mascot?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The King<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you think Ronald McDonald, the happy McDonald\u2019s clown with a heart of gold, will be on this list, think again. Ronald\u2019s antithesis The King from Burger King is far more appealing to fans, despite his historically off-putting behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wake Up With The King\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x4_5qoy4oaQ?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>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TJ Bitter, Head of Production at <a href=\"https:\/\/oddbeast.tv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OddBeast<\/a>, said he loves how The King brings the mischief and chaotic good energy. \u201cWith his plastic, shiny face and regular human body and hands, he had this smiling expression painted on that was both unsettling and hilarious. Whether he was waking up next to people in their beds offering breakfast, on the field for an NFL commercial, or being arrested for giving money to people (all fantastic spots), you could always count on The King providing a great commercial break.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though Burger King previously had a King mascot, the character received a renaissance in 2004 from CP+B to sell breakfast sandwiches. The new version of The King always smiled, never spoke, and created tension everywhere he went since he had a penchant for showing up in unexpected places. And it worked. The King changed the perception of a mascot\u2019s capabilities with the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bitter so enjoys The King he\u2019s trying to harness a similarly chaotic spirit in OddBeast\u2019s own mascot, Todd the thunderweasel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have some big shoes to fill, though, if we want to be thought of in the same way that people think of The King,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Toomgis<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Chelsea Kauth, Executive Creative Director at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omelet.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Omelet<\/a>, moved to California 15 years ago, she fell in love with the gentle giant mascot of ampm convenience store chain, Toomgis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ampm_toomgis.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do we describe <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/who-or-what-is-ampms-toomgis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toomgis<\/a> if you have no context for the character? His name is an acronym for \u201cToo Much Good Stuff.\u201d Toomgis stands exceptionally tall at 7\u20196\u201d. Over 100 snacks and drinks make up his build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kauth\u2019s love for Toomgis has allowed her imagination to run wild. She envisions the mascot\u2019s veins run with high fructose corn syrup and he enters and exits the room in a puff of Cheeto dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s the OG Gritty,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s part \u2018Where The Wild Things Are,\u2019 part hippie who loiters at a gas station. As the literal embodiment of an ampm, he\u2019s also a wickedly smart device, transcending race, speaking multiple languages, and bringing joy to just about anyone who sees him on TV. The proof is in the countless bootleg uploads from his adoring fans on YouTube.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The California Raisins<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenn Szekely, President at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coleyporterbell.com\/us\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coley Porter Bell US<\/a>, can\u2019t forget about the California Raisins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese mascots have always stuck with me,\u201d Szekely said. \u201cThe Claymation characters were a huge success in raising awareness and shifting perceptions of raisins, but also had a huge cultural impact, setting the stage for future mascots like the M&#038;M\u2019S.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, PopIcon interviewed <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/how-seth-werner-turned-a-cluster-of-grapes-into-the-california-raisins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Seth Werner<\/a> who came up with the idea for the California Raisins. Werner, a former copywriter at Foote Cone Belding, was assigned to work on the CalRAB, or California Raisin Advisory Board, account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CalRAB was FCB\u2019s smallest account, but it took off after Werner had a \u201cEureka!\u201d moment where he imagined a bunch of raisins dancing to the song \u201cI Heard It Through the Grapevine.\u201d Werner worked alongside stop motion director Will Vinton to bring the raisins to clay animation life and said the cost of licensing the iconic song was $250,000 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"California Raisins commercial with Workmen\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pOQO5lq6bNk?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>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commercials, and the California Raisins, were an overnight sensation with the CalRAB board, FCB, and audiences everywhere. As Werner told us, the Raisins went viral before it was a thing to go viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is quite amazing to think about the accomplishments of the Raisins, considering their popularity was years before social media,\u201d said Szekely. \u201cThey had albums, and world-renowned artists involved such as Buddy Miles, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson. They are even featured at the Smithsonian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ronny Young, Founder and President at OddBeast, is also a fan of the California Raisins. To this day, Young said he can\u2019t name another brand of raisin which further speaks to the positive effects in creating long-term brand awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe beauty of this chaotic magic is what I remember from my youth, a time when we were allowed to be silly and just have fun,\u201d he said. \u201cLet&#8217;s all have more fun and create weird singing raisins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week\u2019s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at <a href=\"mailto:howveryheather@gmail.com\">howveryheather@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three of my favorite brand mascots \u2014 the Pillsbury Doughboy, Kool-Aid Man, and the McNugget Buddies from McDonald\u2019s \u2014 all have something in common with one another. Objectively speaking, they\u2019re all weirdos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15],"topics":[2],"class_list":["post-7780","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 v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>4 Oddball Brand Mascots Loved By the Advertising Community | AW360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/4-oddball-brand-mascots-loved-by-the-advertising-community\/7780\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 Oddball Brand Mascots Loved By the Advertising Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Three of my favorite brand mascots \u2014 the Pillsbury Doughboy, Kool-Aid Man, and the McNugget Buddies from McDonald\u2019s \u2014 all have something in common with one another. 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