Eight Of The Most Memorable Mascots
We see them first – running onto the field at a match, popping up in an ad or even when we dodge them as they try to flag us down in the street.
We’re talking brand mascots and they come in all shapes and sizes, some renowned for their cuteness and some studiously avoided owing to their creepy exterior.
Check out these eight, very memorable, mascots.
1. Snap, Crackle and Pop
Kellogg’s introduced Rice Bubbles’ Snap, Crackle and Pop in the 1930s. The three characters were named after the sound the cereal makes when it’s covered with milk and were designed by artist, Vernon Grant.
Natalie Amat who is in charge of content and community at We Are Social loves these guys: “Snap, Crackle and Pop were also ones that remind me of being a kid and begging my mum to let me choose the cereal when we went grocery shopping,” she said.
2. Pillsbury Doughboy
The Pillsbury Doughboy with the ticklish tummy and the giggles became a firm favourite in Pillsbury’s ads. Created in 1965 by Leo Burnett, the plump character is also known as Poppin’ Fresh.
Image sourced here.
3. Toucan Sam
The brightly coloured sugared hoops of Kellogg’s Froot Loops introduced Toucan Sam in the early 1960s. Toucan Sam featured on the cereal boxes and in the brand’s ads with the magical ability to seek out Froot Loops with his nose. Image sourced here.
4. Ronald McDonald
It wouldn’t be a list of mascots if we didn’t mention McDonald’s Ronald McDonald, who recently had a bit of a makeover to make him more trendy. Read more about his refresh here.
Alex James, strategy director at Carat, believes the red and yellow clown could be the reason she still craves Maccas.
“Ronald McDonald will always be memorable for me due to my illustrious and lengthy career working for the Golden Arches,” she said.
“One of many enjoyable tasks I had was to periodically clean the plastic Ronald (after of course ushering off the throng of excited children), so he will be indelibly burned into my memory.”
Image via iStock.
5. Michelin Man
The living tyre is well-known around the world. First created in 1898 from the minds of the Michelin brothers, Bibendum, the Michelin Man, soon became the brand’s global ambassador and began introducing the new parts and features from the company.
Amaury Treguer, strategist at We Are Social loves the Michelin Man. “He simply represents what the company sells: a stack of tires with arms and legs,” he said.
“Bibendum has been travelling throughout the time, changing shapes and colours. He is now one of the world’s most recognised mascots and represents the brand Michelin internationally.”
Image via 360b / Shutterstock.com
6. Red and Yellow M&M
Red and Yellow have always had an interesting relationship, with poor Yellow often being the victim of Red’s sarcastic comments and pranks. Red loves it when people blindly follow his advice, with Yellow believing Red is his best friend because Red knows an awful lot.
These guys are one of We Are Social’s Abrye Redeker’s favourite mascots. “I like M&M’s because they’re cheeky little buggers, plus their personalities and designs have stood the testament of time,” she said.
Image via M&Ms site.
7. Louie the fly
Mortein’s Louie the Fly was first introduced 1957 as the dirty, unkempt insect that was only afraid of the man who held the Mortein can.
Louie the Fly had a close call a few years ago when it was announced he was going to be killed off, but it turned out to just be a marketing ploy.
Adele Te Wani, director of brand activations agency, 31ST:SECOND loves Louie: “My favourite mascot is Louie the fly and can’t believe they tried to kill him off!”
Aaron Chilcott, creative technologist, We Are Social, also agrees: “The cartoonish character had charisma, yet he personified one thing that really annoyed and disgusted people. He represented a dichotomy of attraction and revulsion, the conflict of which perhaps makes him memorable. I might liken it to the effect of the salt enhancing the sweet in salted caramel… or perhaps the inverse would be more correct.”
Image via Louie’s own Facebook fan-page.
8. Coco the Monkey
Another memorable Kellogg’s character is Coco the Monkey who compared Coco Pops to a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy.
Coco got into a bit of hot water a few years ago when Coco Pops was found to contain too much sugar and wasn’t allowed to be advertising during children’s TV programs or at schools.
What’s your favourite mascot? Tweet us @bandt to let us know.
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