Company & Product Mascots

[Pomai]

DTRIC Insurance recently started a TV ad campaign featuring their mascot, rendered in animated CGI. Not sure if this mascot is new or not, but he sports a "rad" green hairdo, what looks like a Kukui Nut lei, sunglasses, bare-chested, and bare-footed, shorts that have a single suspender and holds a big "shaka". Pretty cool.

My mother can't stand the Geico cavemen, just because she thinks they're so ugly. Same for their gecko, mainly because she's gravely afraid of lizards. lol

For breakfast cereals, there's some true icons in the industry that have no doubt increased sales and top-of-mind branding for the product they represent over the many decades they've graced box covers and ad promotions. There's...

The likes of Kellogg's Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Dig 'Em Frog, Snap, Crackle & Pop all had me sold when I was a kid, that's for sure.

Back to local business mascots, the Menehune Mac "Menehune" is a cool design. I like his pidgin-laced flash intro on their site.

Another Menehune is the one for Menehune Water Company. Last year a guy dressed up as him for Halloween in Waiks'.

"Mr. Safety" of Hawaii Self Storage is a neat design as well. I dig the plantation hat, if that's what that is.

Mascots aren't always fictional. Sometimes they're the owners of the company. Like Colonel Sanders.

Anyone remember used car dealership owner and spokesperson Lippy Espinda? I hear he popularized the "shaka" sign in his TV commercials, which was also laced with heavy pidgin English punch lines. I don't know, as he was before my time, but I'd love to see those commercials.

Any mascots that you like or dislike? Which ones do you think are effective at selling the product or service, and which ones aren't?

[leashlaws]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

The Energizer Bunny comes to mind, cute ads.

I know I can mention more but I'm blanking out right now!
Must be the constant downpour of rain today!

[Pomai]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

Did you notice the Energizer Bunny wears rubber slippers (or "rubbah slippahz" or "flip flops")? Someone told me a guy from Hawaii designed it, although this Wikipedia article claims "The creative team at DDB Chicago who conceived and designed Bunny was Peter Bex (art director), Bob Konold (writer) and Lorra Rudman (creative director)". Not sure if any of them have Hawaii roots. Anyone know more about this?

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

MLB is a company as well. I really like Mr. Met, the mascot of the New York Mets:

[Random]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

Any mascots that you like or dislike? Which ones do you think are effective at selling the product or service, and which ones aren't?

I dislike the current BK mascot which IMNSHO looks like a reject from a Mardi Gras parade. He creeps me out, especially if he's in one of those breakfast promo commercials. You try waking up and the first thing you see is him. Get rid of the mask and just put someone in makeup like before.

I'd like to stomp on the Energizer bunny in front of kids.

The only mascot(s) I like is the Ka Lei Eggs Booga Booga. "It's Too Good!"

[Sharilyn]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

I dislike the current BK mascot which IMNSHO looks like a reject from a Mardi Gras parade. He creeps me out, especially if he's in one of those breakfast promo commercials. You try waking up and the first thing you see is him. Get rid of the mask and just put someone in makeup like before.

Yeah, the Burger King guy is seriously creepy.

[oggboy]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

The Jack in the Box clown, stupid!, but he does get his message across.

[Random]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

The Jack in the Box clown, stupid!, but he does get his message across.

I can tolerate Jack. I like it when they use different heads to show Jack's different emotions.

I even like the porn movie spoof commercial. I just realize I have a porn 'stache.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

Mascots aren't always fictional. Sometimes they're the owners of the company. Like Colonel Sanders.

Or was the owner. By the time Harlan Sanders was the TV commerical spokesperson for KFC, he had already sold his share of the company and was, quite literally, a figurehead for the restaurant chain.

I find the history of some company mascots as being fascinating, as many have evolved over the years.

Jack In A Box- The namesake was originally a cartoonish clown. Then in the early 1970s, there was little Rodney Allen Rippy. By the end of the decade, the clown was blown up as the restaurant wanted to be known by the quality of the food instead of the clown. A number of spokespersons followed. Then the company began to dig into its past. First, by briefly re-introducing a not-so-little Rodney. And then later, resurrecting a live-action "Jack" with somebody wearing an oversized antenna ball. Cute.

Wendy's - The pigtailed Wendy logo has been more or less a constant. But the first memorable TV commercial spokesperson was Clara "Where's Da Beef?" Peller. After Peller got fired for claiming "I found it!" for another company,.... someone had a stroke of genius. Why not use Wendy's founder Dave Thomas? The rest, as they say, was history.

[oceanpacific]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

ALKA SELTZER - Speedy;
KELLOGG'S - Snap, Crackle, Pop (Ric Crispies); Sugar Pop Pete (Sugar Pops); Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes);

Other cereals: Captain Krunch; Count Chocula; Sugar Bear;

"Live" spokespersons:

OVALTINE - Captain Midnight;
YOO HOO chocolate drink - Yogi Berra;
TIMEX - John Cameron Swayze;
HANES - Michael Jordan

Name of the parrot for WESTERN AIRLINES ("the only way to fly")?

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

ALKA SELTZER - Speedy;
KELLOGG'S - Snap, Crackle, Pop (Ric Crispies); Sugar Pop Pete (Sugar Pops); Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes);

Other cereals: Captain Krunch; Count Chocula; Sugar Bear;

"Live" spokespersons:

OVALTINE - Captain Midnight;
YOO HOO chocolate drink - Yogi Berra;
TIMEX - John Cameron Swayze;
HANES - Michael Jordan

Name of the parrot for WESTERN AIRLINES ("the only way to fly")?

can't leave out the GOAT cereal mascots, Toucan Sam and Dig'em Frog.

[cynsaligia]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

one longstanding local mascot is the caveman making the wheel for lex brodie's tire company. i was once a lex brodie's girl and i know the mascot has a proper name (like bill or fred or something) but i can't remember what it is.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

ALKA SELTZER - Speedy;
KELLOGG'S - Snap, Crackle, Pop (Ric Crispies); Sugar Pop Pete (Sugar Pops); Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes);

Other cereals: Captain Krunch; Count Chocula; Sugar Bear;

Don't forget the Trix Rabbit. (Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids.)

And does anybody remember Tony the Tiger Jr. on the box of Kellogg's Frosted Rice? This was like 30 years ago. Eventually, the boys at Battle Creek scrapped Tony Jr. and put the more popular "Snap, Crackle, and Pop" characters to market the same cereal, renamed Frosted Rice Krispies.

HANES - Michael Jordan

MJ for Hanes? Yeah, I remember those commercials with his wife and late father. But the first person I think of when it comes to Hanes is Inspector #12. (They don't say it's Hanes until I say they say it's Hanes.)

Name of the parrot for WESTERN AIRLINES ("the only way to fly")?

I don't know remember the bird's name. All I remember is that he was voiced by Jim Backus (Mr. Magoo, Gilligan's Island).

And uh, oh yes.

Coffee beans cha-cha-cha!
Coffee beans cha-cha-cha!

[Pomai]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

I'd like to stomp on the Energizer bunny in front of kids.

How about for the MTV demographic, Duracell have Ozzy Osbourne bite the head off the Energizer Bunny. Then end the commercial with Ozzy laughing in his evil way, followed by the "Copper Top" soundbite and logo.

I also agree about the Burger King dude being really creepy. They could make a horror movie out of that character.

Also, why does Quaker Oats use a lifeless, inanimate fiberglass casting of their mascot in their TV comercials? So lame. They should find an actor who resembles the character. Not CGI either.

Same thing for the Sun Maid Raisins recent TV ad campaign which uses a CGI-rendered "Sun Maid" mascot. Looks kinda' creepy too. There must be 100's of young women in America who look like the mascot that could act the part.

The Cab's "Tutu" ad campaign employing the "Tutu" mascot with the big okole played by Frank DeLima is brilliant. "Call "Four Tutu... Tutu, Tutu!" (422-2222). I always remember their phone number due to that one. Brilliant.

[Amati]

Re: Company & Product Mascots

MLB is a company as well. I really like Mr. Met, the mascot of the New York Mets:

Is it possible that the Mets guy is just a part-time gig for "Jack" (JackInTheBox), with Jack in full makeup.?