He was soon given the boot in favor of Lucky, who to this day continues to be the spokesman for this classic cereal with marshmallows, or ", The famous Planter's character, Mr. Peanut, was the result of a nation-wide competition to create the company's new mascot. Toucan Sam has been the spokesbird for Froot Loops since 1963. 's spokes character, Punchy, made his television debut in 1962. The Trix rabbit's sole purpose in life is to eat Trix cereal, but his plot is almost always foiled by kids yelling, "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids." There's no other story; he just loves promoting the cereal. In 1999, Cheerios launched a 20th-anniversary public contest to name the famous honey bee. He also does the voice for Count Chocula. It was born in 1977, and its name is Lefty. The Vlasic Stork first appeared in a commercial in 1974 and proclaimed, "Vlasic is the best tasting pickle I ever heard!" Would Planter's still be in business more than a century later if a drawing contest hadn't prompted a young boy to create and submit a fancy pants Mr. Peanut back in 1916? Especially not after Hostess' decision to no longer advertise to children in 2022 meaning Twinkie the Kid has likely headed for greener pastures. And then there are the cows first seen in 1995 which are usually shown holding the ad slogan, "Eat Mor Chikin. His formal name is L.C. His signature look? They've gone through a few designs. +20 Fast Food Mascots Explained (Ranked) - Eggradients.com The character's catchphrase is "Ho, ho, ho" yes, just like Santa Claus. She's all about having new experiences as often as possible! Over the years more flavors and Nesquik branded products would be released, but by far the most memorable introduction to the Nesquik line was its bunny mascot. Add in the interesting tidbit that Tony beat out two other potential mascots upon arrival to become the face of Frosted Flakes in 1953 (via Kellogg's), and we think it's crystal clear why the Tiger ranks as the third best food mascot. However, it wasn't until February 2020 that the brandunveiled its new packaging without Mia "to better tell its farmer-owned story." This includes Lefty the Glove, the helpful mascot for Hamburger Helper which may or may not be an actual hand (via Today). He's sly, wears sunglasses and has a smooth voice. After all, what else does the cartoonish character, vaguely modeled after the legendary Roman emperor, do besides say "Pizza! Source: Miscota. It wasn't until 1979 that the company would coin its famous tagline, "Pizza! In 1971, the company ended the campaign after people threatened to boycott the brand. That's why we've taken it upon ourselves to rank the most mighty mascots of all time, based . The character was polished to perfection by commercial artist Frank P. Krize, Sr. Why? Sorry, Charlie. that Mr. Peanut's full name is actually Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe. In 2020, we've seen several iconic food mascots criticized as racially insensitive, leading some companies to make an effort to change the mascot's appearance or retire it altogether. Lefty continues to be featured on packaging and advertising for Hamburger Helper. In the food world, mascots were once one of the most effective marketing gimmicks. With his toga-style outfit of leaves, green skin, and impressive stature, it's hard to miss the Jolly Green Giant, who's been a mascot for the Green Giant canned vegetable company since before it was named Green Giant. Popsicle Pete had pretty much already disappeared by this point in time, but with Unilever's new policy, he will live on only in memory. Similar to the Taco Bell chihuahua, the California Raisins' time as an actual food mascot was relatively short-lived. A sweet little cartoon bee accompanied advertisements and packaging for Honey Nut Cheerios for 20 years before he got a name. was Rudy Prez, a copywriter who worked for a Chicago-based ad agency in the 1960s. In February 2020, the Native American woman known as "Mia" suddenly vanished without a trace from Land O'Lakes packaging. Not unlike the Big Boy mascot, the titular Jack in the Box is hurt in our rankings by his lacking ubiquity across the nation. And the artist? Mr. Peanut. Theyre grrreat! is the catchphrase of Frosted Flakes #1 guy, Tony the Tiger, and is almost as famous as the feline himself. Though the character was originally conceptualized in 1928, he didnt get his famous good cheer until a visual upgrade during the mid-1930s. The Real Reason You Don't See These Food Mascots Anymore - Mashed.com Since debuting back in 1964 (via General Mills), the rambunctious leprechaun has been extolling the virtues of the magically delicious cereal ad nauseam, with its rotating assortment of marshmallows including clovers, stars, and rainbows. Ever since, the fast-food mascot has been a huge part of our culture. Harland Sanders is, of course, the mascot for KFC. Over the years, however, many Native Americans became increasingly incensed by "symbols of the European-American narrative that ignores the genocide, disease, and cultural devastation brought to our communities" (via National Geographic). Other Keebler characters include Ernie's mom Ma Keebler, the elf in charge of wrapping named Fast Eddie, the elf who splashes chocolate on the cookies named Buckets, and the fudge shoppe foreman named Zack. 1. It turned out people loved the character and sales were restored. Perhaps it's the character's fairly fascinating visual evolution through the years (via History Daily), or the strange image of an umbrella protecting a yellow girl from raining salt. The person behind the creation of the Pillsbury Doughboy was Rudy Prez, a copywriter who worked for a Chicago-based ad agency in the 1960s. Frito-Lay initially dug in its heels. Additionally, while the website implies that Froot Loops practically invented multi-colored cereal, we're not so sure about the veracity of that claim. He was always trying to steal hamburgers from children and his friend Ronald McDonald though he never actually got away with it. ", The Real Reason You Don't See These Food Mascots Anymore. We'd never say Toucan Sam doesn't belong on this list, yet the tropical bird can't quite overcome the glut of cereal mascots to rank any higher. You may know him as Cap'n Crunch, but his real name is Horatio Magellan Crunch. In 2020, Planters' advertising agency, VaynerMedia, wanted an even bigger event. But for our money, the Jolly Green Giant takes the cake or, more appropriately, the bowl of steamed broccoli. Being presented to the world in the distant 1894 at the Lyon Exhibition by the Michelin brothers, the idea behind this plump brand mascot design was to represent a person . Sure, the brown, vampire-adjacent character has been around for more than 50 years as of 2022, and certainly outranks the other Monster Cereals often advertised alongside his product. Ernie and his pals make the brand's cookies and crackers in the famous Keebler tree, known as the, The smooth, sunglasses-wearing cheetah who serves as the mascot for, is named Chester Cheetah. Additionally, the characters' evolution through the years, including a slight revamp in 2022 (via CNN), likely ensures the M&M mascots and their candies will remain prominent in the public eye. Leprechaun, but fans today know him simply as Lucky. It's no mystery why food mascots are an effective advertising tool. Frito Bandito was introduced in the late 1960s to help sell Frito-Lay chips. Kellogg's heavily promoted the Bigg Mixx character with prizes and promotional giveaways. Let us know if you're a freelance designer (or not) so we can share the most relevant content for you. Leo Burnett Worldwide. Crackle! In the '70s, Continental launched a new ad campaign with the debut of Twinkie the Kid, a walkin'-talkin'-lasso-twirlin' Twinkie in cowboy gear. Holding a bowl of oranges atop her French-braided hair, Tropic-Ana represented Tropicana for nearly four decades. The white glove mascot featured a big smile and a red nose. The whole crew, many of whom are named in all sorts of clever ways, lives and bakes their goodies in their tree, dubbed The Hollow Tree Factory. They were created in 1968 by can you guess it? Brand mascots are a commonplace part of the branding strategies for countless cereal and food companies. Although Cheerios had been around since the 1940s. The company ditched the second stick and refocused its marketing efforts to target parents "to awaken the memories that most adults have of bygone summer days eating Popsicles and to transfer those memories to today's children," The New York Times continued. Quiky the Nesquik Bunny has been a favorite mascot of children worldwide since the late 1940's. Representing the Nestl Nesquik brand of both the breakfast cereal and the flavor mix for your milk; this popular mascot has donned the face of the Nesquik line up of products for years. It was modeled after then-8-year-old Melinda "Wendy" Thomas. Continental followed up with other anthropomorphized bakery goods, but Twinkie the Kid was the most popular. General Mills claims that Boo Berry was the first blueberry-flavored cereal. Perhaps inspired by his success, Post took another stab at using a slightly less homicidal clown as their brand mascot in 1968 but the results were much the same as before. What can we say? With his trademark monocle and top hat, Mr. Peanut is easily the most pretentious food mascot on this list. One of the weirdest food mascots was Bigg Mixx, a Frankenstein creation of a chicken, moose, pig, and wolf. Now, he's hatless. But the mascot which somewhat resembles both Chip (Bradley Pierce) from "Beauty and the Beast" and Pennywise's (Tim Curry) hands in "IT" still earns its keep in the middle of the pack. The cereal quickly became a household staple. Within hours of Quaker Oats' announcement to replace its Aunt Jemima name and logo, Mar's, Inc. put out a press release about its Uncle Ben's brand and image, saying that it "recognize[s] that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben's brand, including its visual brand identity." "We don't need the flak if the Bandito wasn't selling Fritos," a company exec is quoted as having said. Always one to help busy moms with their dinner dilemmas, the Helping Hand was introduced as part of an advertising campaign called, "When You Need a Helping Hand." This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply. So with a face only a mother could love, the Burger King mascot comes in at the very bottom. And as we all well know, his portrait is to this day the face of an international brand. Frankly, we can't say we're huge fans of Little Caesars food. In February 2021, parent company PepsiCo announced the logo will be replaced with an image of a mill, and the brand name on the products will read Pearl Milling Company instead. in the 1980s and the cartoon cheetah continues to serve as the brand's main marketing focus. This four-digit lefty showed moms that ground beef (and later tuna and chicken) combined with boxed pasta and premeasured seasoning packets make a delightful dinner in a hurry. ; and in Germany, their names are Knisper! Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, . Aunt Jemima is going away. Are these mascots next? - CNN He's "gr-r-reat!" Food Logos and Mascots That Didn't Age Well - Insider Hostess emerged in 2009, now called Hostess Brands, and attempted to market smaller portions, like the 100-calorie Twinkie Bites, but it was a bust, and Hostess Brands shut down in 2012. "He's part-chicken, you know." It turned out people loved the character and sales were restored. As retold by Mr. Breakfast, the mascot was purportedly first spotted in Yakima, Washington in 1978. But there's no denying the mascot's impact over the years, which even spurreda humorous faux obituary in HuffPost, in 2012, in light of Hostess' near closure. The literal dearth of female food mascots can be a bit disheartening in our modern world, but maybe that just elevates those existing few like the tropical fruit queen herself, Miss Chiquita. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. dons a red or striped stocking cap; and Pop! The cheerful yellow insect didn't have a name until 2000, when the brand ran a national contest to find it a name. in his joyously monotone way? He was originally portrayed as a terrifying old man with rat-like teeth and stringy gray hair who wanted to snag hamburgers. In the food world, mascots were once one of the most effective marketing gimmicks. Dig 'Em is described as a friendly prankster who likes to play tricks, especially on adults. With their slick haircuts and ultra-stylish shoes, The California Raisins were a phenomenon. But as the third best-selling pizza restaurant in the U.S. in 2021, it's clear our subjective opinion isn't relevant to the company's or its mascot's standing in the world. By completing this form, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.