List of American advertising characters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable mascots and characters created specifically for advertising purposes, listed alphabetically by the product they represent.

Product	Character	Years used	Notes
A&W Root Beer	The Great Root Bear	debuted 1974
AFLAC insurance	the AFLAC duck	2000–present	voiced by Gilbert Gottfried
Ajax cleanser	the Ajax pixies	1948–1950s
Ajax detergent	the White Knight	debuted 1963
Alka-Seltzer	Speedy Alka-Seltzer	1952–1964
American Tourister luggage	luggage-mauling gorilla	1970–1980s
Anderson's Soup	the Anderson's Soup twins Happy and Pee-Wee	debuted 1957	voiced by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Anderson Weber car dealership	The Green Defender & Carpool	late 1999–early 2000	A superhero duo similar to The Green Hornet & Kato.
Arby's restaurants	Oven Mitt	2003–present	Voiced by Tom Arnold
Ask.com	Jeeves	1996–2006
Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup	Aunt Jemima	1893–present
Bacardi Rum & Cola drink	Bacardi & Cola	2003
Bardahl auto engine additive	Dirty Sludge, Sticky Valve, Gummy Ring, Blackie Carbon	1953
Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers	Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes	1985–1991	Played by David Joseph Rufkahr (Bartles) and Dick Maugg (Jaymes)
Big Boy restaurants	Big Boy
Bonny Maid floor cover products	the Bonny Maid	1949–1950	played by Anne Francis
Boo Berry cereal	Boo Berry	1972–present
Borden	Elsie the cow	1938–present
Boubin automotive shop	Boubin Bear	late 1980s–present	A large bear wearing a hat, vest, and jeans. He holds his jeans up and tips his hat while saying "It's the bear facts, folks!" Voiced by Andy Aasgaard.
Bounty paper towels	Rosie the waitress	1970–1990	played by Nancy Walker
BP Connect Gas Stations	The "A Little Better Gas Station" Crew	2007-Present	Plays to the song LA By Message Of The Blues
Bubble Yum bubble gum	Floyd D. Duck
Bud Ice beer	Bud Ice penguin	1996	Known for ominously singing "Doo-be-doo-be-doo..."
Bud Light beer	Spuds MacKenzie	1987–1989
Bud Light beer	Johnny, the Bud Light guy	1995	Known for catchphrase "I love you, ma-a-a-n!"; played by Rob Roy Fitzgerald
Budweiser beer	"Budweiser"-croaking frogs	1990s	One frog says "Bud," another says "weis," and a third says "er." This is often repeated throughout the company's ads, in that order.
Budweiser beer	Frank and Louie, lizards	1998	The main adversaries to the Budweiser frogs.
Budweiser beer	Budweiser Clydesdales	1930s-present	Usually pulling a hitch of Budweiser with a Dalmatian riding in it. Also appear playing football against each other.
Burger Chef restaurants	Burger Chef and Jeff	1954–1996
Burger King restaurants	The Burger King	1974–1990, 2004–present
Burger King restaurants	Herb	1985	played by John Merrick
Burger King restaurants	Fighting chickens Spicy and TC	2004
Bush's baked beans	Duke the Dog	1990s-present	Jay Bush's canine companion who always tries to give away his owner's secret recipe
Buster Brown shoes	Buster Brown and his dog Tige	1904–present
California Raisin Advisory Board	the California Raisins	debuted 1987	Singin' dancin' California Raisins.
Camel cigarettes	Joe Camel	1987–1997
Campbell's Soup	the Campbell's Soup kids
Capital One	Mr. No, the viking raiders	2000s	played by David Spade
Cap'n Crunch cereal	Cap'n Crunch	1963–present	An animated pirate who drives his ship through walls and battles the "Soggies."
Carling Black Label beer	Mabel the waitress	1950s	played by Jean Goodspeed (1951 through mid-1950s)
Carl's Jr. restaurants	the Carl's Jr. Star	1960s–present
Charmin bathroom tissue	Mr. Whipple	1965–1989	played by Dick Wilson
Chef Boyardee canned pastas	Chef Boyardee		based on company founder Hector Boiardi
Cheetos snacks	Chester Cheetah	1986–present
Chevron (Standard Oil of California)	Hy Finn	debuted 1958	voiced by Paul Ford
Chevron	the Chevron cars	1995–present
Chick-fil-A	the Chick-fil-A cows	1995–present	known for the catchphrase "Eat Mor Chikin" (sic)
Chicken of the Sea tuna	Chicken of the Sea mermaid	1952–present	voiced by Darla Hood in TV commercials
Chiquita bananas	Miss Chiquita Banana	1944–present
Chuck E. Cheese restaurants	Chuck E. Cheese	1977–present	voiced by Duncan Brannan
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal	Wendell, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch chef
Cocoa Puffs cereal	Sonny the Cuckoo Bird	1960s–present
Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles	Flintstones characters	1970-Present
Columbia Pictures	the Columbia Torch Lady	1924–present
Comet cleanser	Josephine the plumber	1960s–1970s	played by Jane Withers
Cookie Crisp cereal	Cookie Jarvis	1970s
Cookie Crisp cereal	Officer Krum, Cookie Crisp Crook, and Chip the Cookie Hound	1990s
Cookie Crisp cereal	the Cookie Crisp Wolf	2005–present
Cool Whip dessert topping	Sarah Tucker	1960s	played by Marge Redmond
Coors Light beer	Coors Light Twins		played by Diane Klimaszewski and Elaine Klimaszewski
Coppertone sunscreens	the Coppertone Girl	1944–present
Corn Flakes cereal	Cornelius the rooster
Count Chocula cereal	Count Chocula	1971–present
Cracker Jack snacks	Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo	1918–present
Crest toothpaste	Arthur Goodwin, pharmacist	1970s	played by Arthur O'Connell
Dell computers	Steven Jackson	2000–2003	known for quotes like "Dude, you got a Dell"; played by Benjamin Curtis
Diet Coke	Diet Coke hunk	1990s	played by Lucky Vanous
Domino's Pizza	The Noid	1980s–1990s	voiced by Pons Maar
Doublemint gum	Doublemint Twins
Dreyfus investments	Major, the Dreyfus lion	debuted 1960s
Dunkin' Donuts	Fred the baker	1981–1997	known for quote "Time to make the donuts"; played by Michael Vale
Duracell batteries	The Puttermans	1990s
Dutch Boy paint	the Dutch boy	1907–present
Energizer batteries	Jacko	late-1980s	known for catchphrase "Oi!"; played by Aussie footballer Mark 'Jacko' Jackson;
Energizer batteries	Energizer Bunny	1989–present
Esso Oil/Exxon	the Esso tiger/the Exxon tiger	debuted 1964	See ExxonMobil website
Esurance	Erin Esurance	2004–present	Animated super-spy
Eveready batteries	Eveready "9 lives" cat	debuted c. 1920s–1930s
Excalibur Films	Virginia Beaver		Fictional spokesperson
Federal Express	Mr. Spleen, fast-talking executive	1982	played by John Moschitta, Jr.
Florida Department of Citrus	Florida Orange Bird	1970s	created by Walt Disney Productions
Flying "A" service stations	Axelrod the dog	1960s
Ford automobiles	the Ford dog	debuted 1952
Franken Berry cereal	Franken Berry	1971–present
Fritos snacks	Frito Bandito	1960s	voiced by Mel Blanc
Fruit Stripe gum	Yipes, the Fruit Stripe Zebra	1962–present
GEICO	the GEICO gecko	1999–present	voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Dave Kelly, Richard Steven Horvitz, Jake Wood, and others
GEICO	the GEICO cavemen	2004–present	played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ben Weber, John Lehr, and Ben Wilson.
General Mills	Betty Crocker	1921–present
Gerber baby products	the Gerber baby	1927–present
Gillette Blue Blade razors	Sharpie the parrot	1952–1960
Good & Plenty candy	Choo-Choo Charlie	1950–1950s
Green Giant vegetables	Jolly Green Giant	1928–present
Green Giant vegetables	Little Sprout
Hamburger Helper	the Helping Hand	debuted 1977	voiced by Patrick Coyle
Hamm's Beer	Hamm's Beer bear	debuted 1952
Hardee's restaurants	the Hardee's Star	debuted 1997
The Hartford insurance	the Hartford elk	debuted 1974
Hawaiian Punch drinks	Punchy (the Hawaiian Punch Guy), and Oaf/Opie	debuted 1961
Honda Clearance Sale	Mr. Opportunity	2005–2006
Honey Nut Cheerios cereal	BuzzBee the bee
Hotpoint appliances	Happy Hotpoint	debuted 1955	played by Mary Tyler Moore
Hubba Bubba bubble gum	the Hubba-Bubba Gum Fighter	debuted 1979
ICEE frozen drinks	ICEE polar bear
Ipana toothpaste	Bucky Beaver	1950s
Isuzu automobiles	Joe Isuzu	1986–1990	played by David Leisure
Italian Swiss Colony wine	Little old winemaker	1960s	played by Ludwig Stossel, voiced by Jim Backus
Jack in the Box restaurants	Jack, the antenna ball-headed man
Jax Beer	Elephant and Bartender	Late 1950s and early 1960s	voiced by Mike Nichols and Elaine May
Jell-O gelatin dessert	Chinese baby	debuted 1959	voiced by Alan Swift
Jelly Belly jellybeans	Mr. Jelly Belly, jellybean
Keds shoes	Kedso the Clown
Keds shoes	Kolonel Keds
Keebler snacks	Ernie Keebler and the Keebler elves	1968–present
Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal]]	Cinnamon & Apple	mid 2000s-present
Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal	Toucan Sam	1952–present
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal	Tony the Tiger		voiced by Dallas McKennon, Thurl Ravenscroft
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Dig 'Em Frog	1972–1986, 1987–present
Kellogg's Pop-Tarts	Milton the Toaster	1970s–1980s	voiced by William Schallert
Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal	Sunny the sun	1966–present
Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal	Snap, Crackle and Pop	1928–present
Kellogg's Sugar Pops cereal	Sugar Pops Pete	1950s
KFC restaurants	Colonel Sanders		Col. Harland Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually became its mascot; a later cartoon version was voiced by Randy Quaid.
Kid Cuisine meals	K.C. Penguin
Kleenex table napkins	Manners the butler	1957–1950s	played by Richard Cutting
Kools cigarettes	Willie the Kool penguin	debuted 1930s	Has a wife named Millie
Kool-Aid drink mixes	Kool-Aid Man	1975–present
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese	Cheesasaurus Rex
Kraft Singles cheese	Dairy Fairy	debuted 1980s
Lee Dungarees jeans	Buddy Lee doll	1998–present	based on the doll who debuted in 1921
Life cereal	Mikey, the freckled-face kid	1972–1981	played by John Gilchrist
Little Caesars pizza	Little Caesar
Lucky Charms cereal	Lucky the leprechaun
M&M's candy	Red and Yellow M&M's characters	1996–present	voiced by Billy West and J.K. Simmons, respectively
M&M's candy	Blue and Green M&M's characters	1997–present
M&M's candy	Orange M&M's character	1998–present
Mad magazine	Alfred E. Neuman	1954–present
Malt-O-Meal cereal	Cool Blue and Li'l Oaty	1998–present
Marlboro cigarettes	the Marlboro Man	debuted 1954
Mattel toys	Matty Mattel and Sisterbelle
Maypo	Marky Maypo	1950s
Maytag appliances	Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman	debuted 1967	played by Jesse White (1967–1988), Gordon Jump (1988–2003), Hardy Rawls (2003–present)
McDonald's restaurants	Ronald McDonald	1963–present	originally played by Willard Scott
Meow Mix cat food	Meow Mix Cat	1972–present
Merrill Lynch	Merrill the bull
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	Leo the lion
Miller Lite beer	The Miller Lite Beer Refs	2004–present
Mobil	the Mobil Pegasus	1911–present
Morton Salt	the Morton Salt Girl	1914–present
Mr. Clean cleaning products	Mr. Clean	1958–present	first live-action Mr. Clean played by House Peters, Jr.
Mrs. Butterworth's syrup	Mrs. Butterworth
MTM Enterprises	Mimsie the cat
National Crime Prevention Council	McGruff the Crime Dog	1978–present
National Federation of Coffee Growers	Juan Valdez	1959–present	played by José F. Duval (1959–1969, Carlos Sánchez (1969–present)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	Vince and Larry, the crash test dummies	1985–1999
NBC	NBC peacock	1956–1975, 1979-present	First appeared in 1956. Debuted as animated logo in 1957.
Nestlé Quik/NesQuik	the Quik Bunny/NesQuik Bunny	1973–present	voiced by Barry Gordon
Nevada Air Quality Management Division	Dusty the Dusthole	2003-present	known for catchphrase "Don't Be a Dusthole!"; played by Alan Burd
Nike Air Jordan	Mars Blackmon	1989–1993	played by Spike Lee
Nike sneakers	Li'l Penny	debuted 1996	voiced by Chris Rock
9Lives cat food	Morris the Cat	1968–present	voiced by John Irwin
OfficeMax stores	the Rubberband Man	2004–2005	played by Eddie Steeples
Old Milwaukee beer	the Swedish Bikini Team	1991
Old Spice cologne and aftershave	the Old Spice sailor	1970s–1980s	played by John Bennett Perry
Orbit chewing gum	Vanessa	2002–present
Palmolive dish detergent	Madge the manicurist	1966–1992	played by Jan Miner
Pampers diapers	Pampers pampa
Pep Boys auto parts stores	Manny, Moe, and Jack
Pets.com	Pets.com Sock Puppet		originally performed by Michael Ian Black; now mascot for auto loan company Bar None
Piels beer	Bert and Harry, the Piels brothers	1955–1960	voiced by Bob Elliott (Harry) and Ray Goulding (Bert)
Pillsbury	Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy
Pine-Sol cleaning detergent	The Pine Sol Lady		played by Diane Amos
Planters peanuts and snacks	Mr. Peanut	1916–present
Popsicle ice pops	Popsicle Pete	1940s–1995
Post Cereals' Honeycomb cereal	The Crazy Craving	debuted 1990s
Post Cereals' Golden Crisp cereal	Sugar Bear		voiced by Sterling Holloway
Qantas Airlines	Qantas koala	debuted 1967
Quaker Oats	the Quaker Oats man	1877–present
Quaker Quake cereal	Quake	1965–1970s
Quaker Quisp cereal	Quisp	1965–1970s
Quizno's restaurants	Spongmonkey	2003–2004	characters originated on an internet blog
Quizno's restaurants	Baby Bob	2005–present	The Baby Bob character originated on an internet blog, and had a short-lived CBS show; currently voiced by Ken Hudson Campbell
Raid insecticides	Raid bugs	1956–present
RCA	Nipper the dog
RCA	Chipper	debuted 1990s
Real California Cheese	Happy Cows	debuted 1990s
Red White & Blue Beer	Harmon R. Whittle	1980s
Robert Hall clothing stores	Robert Hall birds	1950s
Savarin coffee	El Exigente	1960s–1970s	played by Carlos Montalbán
Schlitz Malt Liquor	Schlitz Malt Liquor bull
ScotTowels paper towels	Aunt Bluebelle	1970s	voiced by Mae Questel
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner	Scrubbing Bubbles
Serta mattresses	Serta Counting Sheep		animated by Aardman Animations
7up soda	Freshup Freddie	1950s
7up soda	Cool Spot	1987–1995
Six Flags theme parks	Mr. Six	2004–2005
Snuggle fabric softener	Snuggle Bear		designed by Kermit Love, voiced by Corinne Orr
Sony	Randy the Transistor Radio	1963	Used for a promotional booklet
Sprite soda	Miles Thirst	2004-present
Star-Kist tuna	Charlie the Tuna	debuted 1961	voiced by Herschel Bernardi
Starbucks coffee	the Starbucks melusine
Subway restaurants	The Subway Shadow	2000	a hand shadow voiced by Gilbert Gottfried
Taco Bell restaurants	the Taco Bell chihuahua	1997–2000	voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
Taco John's restaurants	Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey	2004–present	A Capuchin monkey wearing a sombrero and poncho
Taster's Choice coffee	Taster's Choice couple	debuted 1987 in Britain, 1990 in U.S.	played by Anthony Stewart Head and Sharon Maughan
Toilet Duck toilet cleaner	Toilet Duck	mid-1990s	An animatronic, helmet wearing duck sticking out of a small tank. Typically strolls into the bathroom saying "Quack, quaaack!"
Tootsie Roll Pops	Mr. Owl	1970–present
Tootsie Rolls	Captain Tootsie
Toys "R" Us stores	Geoffrey the giraffe	1960s–present	Animatronic Geoffrey voiced by Jim Hanks
Travelocity	the roaming garden gnome	debuted 2003
TriStar Pictures	the TriStar Pegasus	1984–present
Trix cereal	Trix rabbit	1959–present	Voiced by Delo States
Trojan condoms	Trojan Man
Twinkies snacks	Twinkie the Kid
Ty-D-Bowl toilet cleaners	the Ty-D-Bowl Man		Played by Mark Matheisen, Fred Miltonberg, Larry Sprinkle
Uncle Ben's rice	Uncle Ben	1946–present	Purportedly named after a Texas rice grower
United States Forest Service	Smokey Bear	1944–present
United States Forest Service	Woodsy Owl	1970–present
United States Post Office Department/United States Postal Service	Mr. ZIP	1960s–1970s
Verizon Wireless	the Verizon Wireless Test Man	2004–present	played by Paul Marcarelli; famous for the quote "Can you hear me now? Good."
Vlasic pickles	the Vlasic stork
Volkswagen GTI	Miss Helga	debuted 2006
Wal-Mart stores	Mr. Rollback	1988–present
Wendy's restaurants	Founder Dave Thomas' daughter Wendy	1969–present
Wendy's restaurants	Mr. Wendy	2004	played by Roger Eschbacher
Western Airlines	Wally the bird	debuted 1955
Willy Wonka candy	Willy Wonka (animated version)	1972–present	Based on Gene Wilder's portrayal and Quentin Blake's illustrations.
Xerox copiers	Brother Dominick	debuted 1975	played by Jack Eagle
various advertisers	Ernest P. Worrell	debuted 1980s	played by Jim Varney