Since 2004, Advertising Week has been celebrating that most treasured of brand ambassadors, the advertising icon. From television to cereal box, brand icons are the unique identities representing the brands and products behind them and each year we’ve awarded the best of the best with a highly-coveted spot on the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame.
Here we are proud to display our list of annual winners, year by year, since Advertising Week’s inception.
Brand Represented: Celestial Seasonings
Year Introduced: 1973
The Sleepytime Bear is the warm and welcoming illustrated mascot of Sleepytime Tea, the best-selling tea from Celestial Seasonings. Described as a timeless symbol of peace, calm, and nostalgia, the bear was illustrated by Beth Underwood, one of the first employees at Celestial Seasonings and sister to one of the company’s co-founders, John Hay. Inspiration for the bear is traced back to the original influences of Disney and the idea of a realistic fantasy. The Sleepytime Bear is a known bringer of cheer and wellbeing. And while he enjoys comfortably dozing off after drinking cups of tea, a 2021 digital campaign called “What the Bear Missed” depicted the Sleepytime Bear waking up after five decades of hibernation.
Brand Represented: Hot Pockets
Year Introduced: 2001
Herbie the Hot Pocket is the official mascot of Hot Pockets. He even made an appearance during #AW2023 in the “Brand Mascots Get Social” panel. Herbie is a high-key cool, low-key heroic and part friend, part snack. As a social media superstar, Herbie has been spotted in his sunglasses on TikTok and Instagram doing a little bit of everything from playing video games to skateboarding and even showing off his romantic side on dates — with tons of roses and Hot Pockets to win you over.
Brand Represented: Progressive
Year Introduced: 2017
The mustachioed Dr. Rick from Progressive – part fake doctor, part life coach – helps young homeowners avoid becoming their parents. Dr. Rick was created by Arnold Worldwide, and made his debut in Progressive’s “Group Session” commercial in 2017. Dr. Rick, played by actor Bill Glass, became an instant hit with audiences. He even has a 119-page self-help book called “Dr. Rick Will See You Now: A Guide to Un-Becoming Your Parents” and a corresponding audio book just in case you’ve already reached that level of Parentamorphisis.
Brand Represented: Tootsie Roll
Year Introduced: 1968
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? The bespectacled Mr. Owl has the answer! Mr. Owl was created by ad agency Doner. His voice was provided by actor Paul Winchell who also voiced the Scrubbing Bubbles and Burger Chef.
Today, you can still find Mr. Owl acting as the official spokes-owl for Tootsie Roll Pops on social media and spending time on the Tootsie Roll website as a member of the Tootsie Pop Squad. The studious Mr. Owl holds a master’s degree in Tootsie Popology and is working on his doctorate. What about his favorite Tootsie Pop flavor? It’s raspberry!
Brand Represented: Toys”R”Us
Year Introduced: 1965
Geoffrey the Giraffe was created by the founder of Toys”R”Us, Charles P. Lazarus, in 1965. The character made his commercial debut in 1973 appearing alongside hundreds of enthusiastic children dancing in the streets. In 1975, Geoffrey introduced his family to the world. Family members included his wife Gigi and son and daughter, Junior and Baby Gee.
Over the decades, Geoffrey experienced several redesigns. He even transformed from animated mascot into a real-life giraffe with an animatronic version of Geoffrey born in 2001, making his image more realistic than ever before. In 2018, Geoffrey the Giraffe was honored at Advertising Week’s Walk of Fame Icon Awards where he received the “Gone Fishing: Icon Retirement Award.” It was a tribute to his many years in the advertising industry and to honor his recent retirement. However, Toys”R”Us soon tweeted #GeoffreysBack to announce Geoffrey’s return from retirement. Since then, Geoffrey has unretired and reclaimed his place as the Toys”R”Us icon for the next generation of kids.
Brand Represented: McDonald’s
Year Introduced: 1971
Grimace is a McDonaldland character created by the creatives at the ad agency Needham, Harper & Steers. Originally, Grimace was designed to be an antagonist. He was introduced in 1971 as an “evil” purple monster who stole shakes and beverages. The early Grimace designs even had an extra set of arms for snatching drinks.
Luckily, the world saw Grimace for the good guy he really was deep down. By 1972, the brand mascot had received a design refresh. Today, Grimace may be a little clumsy but he’s always well-meaning and has a best friend forever in Ronald McDonald. In 2022, Grimace enjoyed a cameo appearance in the McDonald’s Super Bowl LVI commercial.
Brand Represented: Liberty Mutual
Year Introduced: 2019
LiMu Emu & Doug are Liberty Mutual’s twist on classic buddy cop duos. With creative content developed by Liberty’s ad agency of record Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), this spokescharacter pairing is on a mission to stop unsuspecting people from overpaying for insurance coverage.
Audiences can’t get enough of this hilarious duo. Consumers are huge fans of these spokescharacters — so much so that they even dress up as the characters for Halloween! LiMu Emu & Doug are also part of the pop culture lexicon, receiving shout-outs on TV shows like Jeopardy! And Saturday Night Live.
Brand Represented: Microsoft
Year Introduced: 1997
Clippy, also known as Clippit, is the enthusiastic paperclip assistant Microsoft’s Office Suite. The character first debuted in Microsoft Office 97 to a mixed response by Microsoft users and media. Many Microsoft Office users disliked Clippy and media outlets criticized the character’s design. By 2007, Clippy was gone from Office 2007’s suite.
Underground Clippy fans refused to give up on the perky paperclip. In 2021, Microsoft tweeted that if a photo of Clippy received 20k likes the company would replace the paperclip emoji in Microsoft 365 with a Clippy emoji. The tweet went viral instantly. Clippy is back — fully rebooted as an emoji in Microsoft 365.
Charlie the TunaBrand Represented: Starkist
Year Introduced: 1961
Created by copywriter Tom Rogers at Leo Burnett, Charlie the Tuna is the hip, animated tuna brand mascot for StarKist. The spokesfish sports a red beret and thick-rimmed glasses. He’s known for his good taste — even though it often gets him rejected with the “Sorry Charlie” catchphrase. Even though Charlie has been rejected for decades, it never stops him from swimming upstream to show StarKist his hip and cultured good taste. In 2020, Charlie will celebrate his fin-tastic 60th birthday!
PhilthyBrand Represented: Yards Brewing Company
Year Introduced: 2020
What’s a Philthy? Is it a hop monster, IPA devil, or a charming creature with a hazy history? The answer is a little bit of all of the above! Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Philthy has the unique distinction of being one of the few brand mascots to launch during the novel coronavirus. Designer Matt Rondos at Brownstein Group masterminded Philthy’s character design for Yards Brewing Company using inspiration from old Victorian art illustrations. The result was a strange, big-mouthed trickster that represents an “Unfiltered Philadelphia.” So far, Philthy has wreaked havoc across the Yards Brewing social media platforms — and won over IPA enthusiasts with his signature belch.
Brand Represented: Oscar Mayer
Year Introduced: 1936
Hot dog enthusiasts of all ages can’t help but break into smiles when they spot the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile roaming highways and streets across America. Created by Carl Meyer, nephew to the founder of Oscar Mayer, this 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels initially transported the company spokesperson. Today, you can six different Wienermobile vehicles crisscrossing the nation year-round. “Ketch up” with this frankfurter on Oscar Mayer’s website and apply to be a “Hotdogger” driver!
Brand Represented: National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)
Year Introduced: 1980
Creative director Jack Keil initially conceptualized McGruff the Crime Dog during a delay at an airport. His ad agency was working alongside the Ad Council and National Crime Prevention Council to create a public service campaign that educated Americans on how they could get involved in reducing crime. Keil’s lightbulb moment was that people needed to take bites out of crime. Keil wrote, “Take a bite out of crime!” on the back of an envelope and a wise, warm canine in a trench coat named McGruff was born.
Today at 39-years-old, McGruff has spent nearly four decades encouraging Americans to “take a bite out of crime” in his PSA campaigns. He’s also advocating how to take action against emerging crimes, including cyberbullying and intellectual property theft, with the help of social media platforms to share public education messages with global audiences.
Brand Represented: Chiquita
Year Introduced: 1944
Before she became spokeswoman, Miss Chiquita was… A banana? That’s right! Drawn in 1944 by cartoonist Dik Browne, Miss Chiquita debuted as a dancing, singing banana in a red skirt that represented the United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita).
By the end of World War II, Miss Chiquita, her look (including the iconic wide hat filled with fruit), and her catchy jingle were a hit. Consumers were going bananas for the fruit. Over the decades, Miss Chiquita has slowly been transformed from an animated banana into a woman in 1987, as a reflection of the image the public had of Miss Chiquita as a real person. She’s traded her red skirt for a bold, blue dress, but kept the fruit cornucopia hat and reputation as the first lady of fruit. Miss Chiquita will be 75 in 2019 and we can’t wait to see how Chiquita celebrates her big day!
Brand Represented: Burger King
Year Introduced: 1955
All hail The King! When The Burger King first debuted for Burger King, he looked and acted a bit differently than the character we know today. He was short, animated, and even sang a jingle with children in early commercial spots.
As the years progressed, The Burger King began embracing his regal roots. He was illustrated as “The Marvelous Magical Burger King” in the 1970s. Dressed in Tudor-inspired clothes, The Burger King was significantly taller and had a beard. He ruled over his majestic Burger King Kingdom with nobility-themed characters including The Wizard of Fries and Sir Shake A Lot.
Today, The Burger King has been known to make an entrance into any room he steps in. However, the latest character iteration does not speak. The first word that The Burger King has uttered took place in the summer of 2018. It was an iconic catchphrase fit for a king: “Whassup?!”
Brand Represented: Energizer
Year Introduced: 1989
He’s still going. Since his 1989 debut, the Energizer Bunny has become an unexpected hero in advertising, thumping his way into the hearts of consumers in a commercial spot where he drummed away to outlast toys powered by other batteries.
The pink Energizer Bunny accepted his award by bringing his signature cool to the stage with his flip-flops, sunglasses, and carrying a drum that never stops beating. On his behalf, the Energizer team shared this statement. “Generations of consumers have grown up with the Energizer Bunny’s unstoppable power and his will to ‘Keep Going and Going.’ We’re thrilled that Advertising Week has named him as one of their icons of the year and know he’ll be a fan favorite for generations to come.”
Brand Represented: Carvel
Year Introduced: 1977
Famously full of irresistible crunchies, Fudgie the Whale made his debut for Carvel in 1977 to celebrate Father’s Day. The fudge-filled novelty ice cream cake in the shape of a whale quickly became one of the brand’s signature offerings — and their leading mascot.
For Fudgie the Whale, who turned 40 the same year he was inducted into the Walk of Fame, the win was truly an unexpected delight. “What a nail biter! I’m so honored be inducted into Advertising Week’s Madison Avenue Walk of Fame alongside the Energizer Bunny. I would like to thank all my fans who voted for me and I hope we can celebrate soon!”
Brand Represented: FOX NFL Sunday
Year Introduced: 2005
Don’t call him a Transformer. The newly inducted Cleatus the FOX Sports Robot joins the 2016 Walk of Fame a little over 10 years after being introduced to football fanatics nationwide. Animated by CGI, Cleatus made his debut during the 2005-2006 NFL season at the opening sequence of the game, since holding the distinction of being one of advertising’s rare mega-robotic mascots.
What does the future hold for Cleatus, post-#MAWoF induction? His enduring relationship with fans of all ages aside, we’re personally hoping he hits refresh on his social media accounts instead of continuing to be sidelined. With a bio that proudly proclaims he’s “the most badass fake robot in the universe,” how could you not be tweeting every day?
Brand Represented: United States Forest Service
Year Introduced: 1971
“Lend a hand — care for the land!”
A kind fellow dedicated to motivating kids to keep the world they live in a clean one, Woodsy Owl’s tireless efforts have won him honors in the 2016 Walk of Fame. As the icon behind the United States Forest Service, Woodsy wants to see us build a relationship with nature and give back to the land we inhabit. Over the decades, he has been a bird of many slogan campaign feathers too, including one of his most infamous, “Give a hoot — don’t pollute!” as seen below in a 1977 commercial spot.
Upon receiving his award, Woodsy humbly gave a short thank you speech before bowing out to fly across the land. Where he goes now could be anywhere — woodlands, forests, even cities — so long as he, and the Forest Service, continues to teach the world to be the environmental change they wish to see in the world.
Brand Represented: Cheetos (Frito-Lay)
Year Introduced: 1986
Clad in high-top sneakers, sunglasses, and all about good vibes only, Chester Cheetah has reigned the snack aisle as its resident charismatic cool cat since the 1980s. Created by DDB Needham Worldwide in 1986, Chester’s smooth attitude and wisecracks made him especially beloved in the 1990s when Cheetos, and its brand mascot, ruled with teens and tweens as their snack of choice.
After strutting over to pick up his win in the 2015 Walk of Fame, Chester can now be found donning a beret and scarf as a… Museum Critic? You read that right! Chester’s latest savoir faire move has been acting as curator for the Cheetos Museum where a new promotion from Frito-Lay offers anyone with photos of unusually-shaped Cheetos the chance to earn big, dangerously cheesy, bucks.
Brand Represented: ICEE
Year Introduced: 1963
Following the footsteps of the Coca-Cola Polar Bears came the 2015 induction of another iconic polar bear that has also been an advocate for crisp and refreshing beverages: the ICEE Bear.
It still remains something of a mystery who is responsible for creating the ICEE Bear. Local Kansas artist Ruth E. Taylor is credited with thinking of the bear, but ad agency Norsworthy-Mercer was been cited for making the actual bear mascot. Creator credits aside, ICEE Bear was thrilled to win and continues to define summertime and supply us with America’s favorite frozen beverage since 1967.
Brand Represented: Morton Salt
Year Introduced: 1914
Wearing a yellow dress and carefree smile while carrying an umbrella and salt, the eight-year-old Morton Salt Girl has been flavoring meals for generations with the slogan “When it rains, it pours.” Already inducted into our list of the most stylish brand icons, it was only a matter of time before she would turn heads with Walk of Fame honors.
The Morton Salt Girl turned 100 the same year she was brought into the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame, honored with a minute-long commercial. The spot honored her as the face of not just Morton Salt, but as a companion, both as a beloved symbol of home that connects us to loved ones and a cultural icon that connects all of us to each other.
Brand Represented: The United States Forest Service
Year Introduced: 1944
For 71 years, Smokey Bear has been a symbol of protection of America’s forests from human-caused wildfires. Aware of the millions of wildland acres that will intentionally burn each year, he promotes a message of environmental conservation and protection to one and all.
Created by the Advertising Council, Smokey’s tireless dedication to forests awarded him with a spot in the coveted 2014 Walk of Fame lineup. Since then, Smokey Bear, who has been voiced by actor Sam Elliott since 2008, continues to remain an environmental icon urging everyone that, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.”
Brand Represented: Snuggle
Year Introduced: 1983
Perhaps the most adorable thing to happen to laundry ever, the Snuggle Bear has been cozying up to consumers for decades. Described as “a magical spokesbear,” Snuggle is a teddy bear who represents Snuggle fabric softener from Sun Products.
Created by puppeteer Kermit Love, Snuggle proudly notes that his brand of snuggly softness is the “less expensive” alternative, as he curls up in fresh, fluffy towels and cuddly towels in commercial spots. Upon joining the Walk of Fame in 2014, Snuggle also received a few subtle design updates in his less fleecy fur and snout. But he’s still loads of cuddly cute and committed to making the world “a softer place.”
