Do you remember Smokey the Bear? He recently celebrated his 80th birthday, which made me think he might be one of the most successful advertising ‘campaign ‘faces’ ever. Hotfoot Teddy, as he was once called, evolved from a cub in the 40’s to a stud in the 50’s, before settling into his current look, which hasn’t changed since the early 1960’s. His message hasn’t changed either, and remains as important today as when Smokey first said it: only YOU can prevent forest fires.
The endurance of Smokey and his singular message got me to thinking about which other advertising characters have stood the test of time. I went down my memory rabbit hole and came up with the following list. While their messages, their products, and even their looks may have changed over time, just like Smokey they are all advertising icons.
- Mr. Peanut (1916)
- The Jolly Green Giant (1925)
- Bud’s Clysdale Horses (1933)
- Tony the Tiger (1952)
- Kool Aid’s The Pitcher Man (1954)
- Mr. Clean (1958)
- Ronald McDonald (1963)
- Poppin Fresh: The Pillsbury Dough Boy (1965)
What about you? Do you have a favorite ad character? If you do, what is it you like about them? Drop me a line…I’d love to know.
The Grey Goddess 