5 of the Creepiest Brand Mascots

Brand Mascots can be great for a company and make the audience feel like they can trust them and that they are fun. Then there are some brand mascots that are just plain creepy. I have complied five of the creepiest brand mascots from (5) being the least creepy to (1) being the creepiest below. Check it out.

5.) Mr. Six

Mr. Six is my number five creepiest brand mascot. I used to find him funny when I was younger and he did make me want to go to Six Flags. However, I have since then grown up, and upon further analysis he is a pretty creepy guy. Look at who he is. Mr. Six is an old man in a tuxedo dancing like there is no tomorrow. Granted it is funny but something that is funny can still be creepy, and Mr. Six fits the bill. Although I must say compared to the next four he is not really creepy at all.

Image found on Google Images

4.) The Fruit Gusher Heads

I like fruit gushers as much as the next person, but I am not going to lie, the older commercials creeped me out. A kid would pop a gusher into his mouth and then... BAM! His head turned into a giant fruit. Why would I want to eat something that would turn my head into a fruit with a face? It's just creepy. Not only that, but the kids were enjoying it. I don't remember the last time I was thinking you know what would be neat if I could change my head into a fruit. I would hate to meet a person with a fruit as a head in the dark.

Image found on Google Images

3.) Jack in the Box

Image found on Google Images

I had never seen Jack before a few days ago when I asked over twitter who people thought was the worst mascot and someone answered me Jack in the Box. Here is what she said:

I had to check him out and I agree with my friend that Jack is a creepy guy. Having a giant white ball with a pointy nose, yellow hat, and wide smile on a human body is not my idea of a mascot I would trust. In fact he is like the Fruit Heads except at least they can change their facial expression. He is a creepy mascot and not one I would want to ever meet.

2.) The Burger King

Sometimes he makes me laugh. Most of the time he makes me uncomfortable. Always he's creepy.

This is The Burger King.

Image Found on Google Images

He is no longer on the air anymore, but I remember when commercials with him were running. I think they may have intended him to be creepy, maybe to be funny as well, but mostly they accomplished creepy. The King would always be staring at the people in the commercial. In one he was sitting on the bed as a guy woke up. Who would want that? His insistent staring and never talking creeped me out. He was a good concept for a brand mascot, but a plastic kings head that stares only served to make him a mascot that made me unenthused to go to Burger King.

1.) Ronald McDonald

Image found on Google Images

Ronald is a great mascot and has earned popularity all over the world, but he is the creepiest mascot I have seen. This is probably due to my fear of clowns, but I do not find Ronald as a person that I want to hang around with or for that matter get a burger from. He is always so happy and busy helping out kids so he can put a smile on their face. That is pretty nice. But who is he behind that make up? I don't know. Also why is a clown selling hamburgers and fries? He has not had the rest of his creepy gang in a while, but that does not lessen the unease and discomfort I get around him or watching him. To me he is therefore the creepiest brand mascot around.

Which mascot or character creeps you out the most? Let me know below.

5 Great Brand Mascots

Some mascots do better than others. A great mascot creates a link between them and the brand in the audience and is memorable. It convey's some type of message that the brand wants to convey. I will look at five brand mascots that I find do a great job for their brands:

#5 The Most Interesting Man in the World

Who would not want to be this guy? Every time I see his commercials I do. His history as they tell it is

awesome. His take on the world and his knowing one liners lend people to want to be him. This is exactly what Dos Equis wants. They want people to want to be the Most Interesting Man in the World, and one thing that he does is drink Dos Equis. People may not be able to do what this man has done but they can drink Dos Equis and be like him in at least one way. The delivery of lines by the Most Interesting Man in the World are smooth and friendly, like he is giving advice to the audience. Not only that but he leaves you with 'Stay thirsty, my friends', which entices the audience to trust him after all they want to be like him and he just called them friends. He has gotten a lot of brand awareness for Dos Equis and is connected to the brand in everyone's minds.                                                                                                       Image found on Google Images

#4 Lucky from Lucky Charms

There are a lot of great cereal brand mascots out there and I decided I would pick one.  After going through the list of them I chose Lucky who is still going strong. Everyone knows Lucky from Lucky Charms and everyone knows his jingle and last line 'They're Magically Delicious'. This line and his jingle are referenced in a few movies as well, one of which is Austin Powers. I chose Lucky because he does his job and does it well. As a kid I always wanted Lucky Charms because of the commercials. All the kids chased him but he would always get away. The cereal the way he sang about it sounded delicious and his irish accent caught my attention every time. He is very embedded in his brand, to the point where I can't imagine if Lucky Charms got rid of him. They go hand in hand. 

Image found on Google Images

#3 Taco Bell Chihuahua 

The Chihuahua is a blast from the past but I have never forgotten him since I first saw the Taco Bell Commercials that he appeared in. He was a major hit among the audience as his famous tagline (I remember it clearly) 'Yo Quiero Taco Bell!' circulated and is still remembered today. He even had a variety of little stuffed chihuahua's that said different lines (My Aunt had them all). His commercials made people want Taco Bell because they focused on how all the Chihuahua wanted was what ever taco bell was featuring at the time. I in particularly remember the Godzilla commercial that still cracks me up. If interested it can be found on youtube. The Taco Bell Chihuahua won people over with a hilarious desire for Taco Bell. He built brand awareness and want for Taco Bell. 

Images found on Google Images

#2 Aflac Duck

The Aflac Duck is another mascot not unlike the GEICO Gecko. Both are animals that talk about insurance. The Aflac Duck is know for his insistence on trying to tell people that the name of an insurance they want or are thinking of is 'AFLAC!' yelling it at least a few times a commercial. He is know by most people and has brought good brand awareness and equity to Aflac throughout the years. Recently he has been getting a personality of his own as an actor in his commercials, along the same lines as the Gecko. In fact his twitter is as if he himself is tweeting about things. Due to the Duck always trying to watch out for you he has gained trust among people. Not to mention his commercials always have a bit of good humor.

 Image found on Google Images        

#1 GEICO Gecko

The GEICO Gecko is a brand mascot many people know. He first appeared in 2000 for GEICO and has been an enduring figure for the company since. He is always interested in one thing and that is saving money on a person's car insurance. He fills in the audience on different features of GEICO in numerous commercials. The Gecko is also very personified. Even though he is a Gecko he has a personality. There are a set of commercials where it is behind the scenes of the commercials and you get to see a very human side of the Gecko all the while almost seamlessly getting filled in on what GEICO can do for the audience. People have come to like and trust the Gecko, and he lends brand equity to the company.

Image found on Google Images

BATTLE OF THE BRAND MASCOTS: ROUND 2: MODERN MASCOTS

It's time for Round Two of Battle of the Brand Mascots! For round two, great modern mascots will face off for winner of the Battle of the Brand Mascots.

Our Contenders:

Flo of Progressive

vs.

Mayhem of Allstate

 VS.

Flo found on Google Images                                                                                                                                 Mayhem found on Google Images

Stats:

Flo

Who is She: Flo is the ever high spirited and energetic

brand mascot and face of Progressive. She is always seen

in her white progressive apron helping people save by

using Progressive.

Special Abilities: Great people skills, upbeat personality, trustworthy.

Weaknesses: Perhaps too upbeat

Product: Progressive Insurance

Creator: John Park and Steve Reepmeyer of ad agency Arnold Worldwide

Commercials: In her commercials Flo is always helping people save by using progressive. She gives them the insurance they need and helps give the people the power to chose which insurance they should get. The commercials are normally laced with light comedy, and happy endings for people looking for insurance. 

   

Image found on Google Images

Mayhem                                                    

Who is He: Mayhem is one of the spokesman

for Allstate. He is a rugged personality that    

portrays Mayhem, any mayhem you may       

face on the road. Always dressed in his          

formal attire and a bandage on a cut on his     

eye he is ready at all times to spread some      

mayhem.                                                    

Special Abilities: Causes mayhem for driver's,

   ability to become a drivers worst nightmare,   

always ready for a black tie event.                  

Weaknesses: Allstate Insurance                      

Product: Allstate Insurance                           

Creator: Ad Agency Leo Burnett                

Commercials: The Mayhem Commercials are

humorous commercials that focus around       

Mayhem causing problems for drivers. They  

take the form of many different scenarios       

such as a deer in the road or a teenage girl      

who just got broken up with and is texting      

while in a parking lot. Each commercial's       

focus is on one key aspect, if you get Allstate 

you will not have to worry about dealing with

Mayhem.                                                    

Images above found on Google Images

What Makes Them Good Brand Mascots:

I find these Brand Mascots to be amazing brand mascots for a few reasons. They both accomplish giving a face to their brand, but not just that they give a tangible being to an intangible product. Both are insurance companies mascots which is an intangible product, you can't necessarily hold on to see

insurance, yet you see Mayhem and Flo and think insurance. They increase brand awareness. Most people know who they are and which company they are associated.

Flo personifies not only Progressive insurance, but gives a face to a product you get online. You do not deal with people face to face when you get Progressive, it is internet based yet you see Flo as a sales rep for them and trust her through her personality, positivity, and honesty. 

Flo's quirky personality has won the hearts and trust of many consumers and in turn has been a great mascot for Progressive. The comedy that the creative team comes up with is attention getting, yet does not pull your attention from the fact that it is a Progressive commercial. Not only that but Flo's great facial expressions always earn a chuckle.

Mayhem also personifies something else beside just insurance and that is issues that you may face on the road or which may affect your car. The scenario's written for the commercials are funny and

entertaining. The scenarios are also a little frightening at times if you think about them with out the humor added. Which I believe is a goal of the commercials; to frighten the audience into getting Allstate rather than not being covered if a freak accident happens. 

The character of Mayhem is well portrayed and developed well to fit, well, mayhem. The dry delivery and sly smile of Mayhem add even more humor to the scenarios. Again, like Flo, Mayhem does not distract from Allstate but rather ingrains the name Allstate in your mind especially when coupled with that distinct voice at the end of each commercial.

My Decision: Mayhem

After looking at each Brand Mascot I would have to say Mayhem, would be my choice. Both are designed well and work the way they were intended for their brands. Coupled with their ad stories, however, I think Mayhem wins by a nose.

Image and previous images above found on Google Images

Thoughts? I would like to hear them.

Commercial Ad Story of the Week: Jameson Irish Whiskey

This Week's Winner of the Commercial Ad Story of the Week: Jameson Irish Whiskey

I was first introduced to these commercials a few months ago and I still find them great to watch. These commercials are great stories and create exciting (and comical to a point) feelings in the viewer. Check out the "Iron Horse" commercial below:

Video found at Youtube

About the Ad Stories:

In my last blog post I compared two different brand mascots Toucan Sam and Trix the Rabbit (both cereal characters I had grown up viewing). Jameson Irish Whiskey commercials to me are basically cereal commercials for adults. Instead of using Froot Loops as an object to save they use Jameson Irish Whiskey. They also use more adult themed subjects and humor than the colorful cereal cartoons, which makes sense for the product.

Instead of Trix the Rabbit they use John Jameson. During each episode something goes wrong, such as a barrel rolls of the ship or a giant hawk swoops down and steals a barrel. What does Jameson do? He saves the whiskey. His most important thing in life, and by the commercials one of the most important things to Ireland.

Picture found at Google Images

How the Stories Are Told:

These commercials are like little episodes; I like to think of them as The Adventures of John Jameson. Each commercial follows Jameson on a separate but no less exciting adventure where he must save his precious whiskey. No barrel gets left behind.

The stories of the ad are narrated by an Irishmen as the story unfolds. The narration moves the story along and has a real legend like feel to it. In a way they are told like they are Irish legends.

Throughout the character of John Jameson never speaks, but rather does fantastic stunts, in a nonchalant, hero-like way.


Picture found at Google Images

What These Stories Do Well:

First off these commercials are great at holding attention. They give the feeling like I am watching a TV show (except the TV show is condensed into a minute long commercial). It keeps me wanting to know what happens next and excited to see how it ends. It holds my attention to the point that I don't want to change the channel when it comes on unlike a lot of other TV commercials.

Secondly, these commercials do a great job creating audience wanting for the product through the Affinity Impulse. Jameson in the commercials is a gentleman yet a rugged hero at the same time. He has some crazy adventures and he does them just for his whiskey. This makes the person (I would want to be like Jameson) want to buy the whiskey so he can relate to John Jameson.

Picture found at Google Images

Lastly the commercials create word of mouth for the product and commercial. I first saw this commercial when a friend showed me and I thought they were great stories. In turn I have showed it to a number of people. My friend showed me because he really liked them and thought they were well done.

Closing Comments:

Overall I think these are great ads. What do you think about these ads? Are there any ads you really like? Any ads that you think have a great story? I am open to seeing and hearing about great ads and their stories anytime. Please comment below

If you like the commercial above the rest can be found on Youtube. I will leave you with this last commercial:

Video found at Youtube.

BATTLE OF THE BRAND MASCOTS: ROUND 1 -- CHILDHOOD MASCOTS

Today I thought it would be fun to take two of my favorite brand mascots growing up and compare them in a little contest. So with out further ado... the two contestants are Toucan Sam and Trix the Rabbit!

THE CONTESTANTS:

Trix:

Trix the Rabbit is the iconic figurehead for the General Mill's Trix Cereal brand. He is a rabbit who wants more then anything to have himself all the Trix he can get his hands (or paws) on.

Trix was always trying to get and taste the fruity Trix cereal. He would where disguises and would try to fool the kids who had the cereal, but always something would go wrong and the kids would figure it out that he was the rabbit and then came that catchphrase ingrained in our minds, "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!" This tag line would  always get me thinking yes, yes they are and it would be followed by 'Mom can I have Trix's?' There were a lot of different interactive games that they would announce on the commercial that I remember as well.

An example is in one the kids were on a train and then the lights go out and all the Trix are gone and the Rabbit was disguised as one of five suspects. To play, clues were on the back of Trix boxes. In short Trix the Rabbit is a great brand mascot who does his job well and was designed well. His unique story of trying to get the Trix with different disguises keeps kids entertained and makes them want the cereal. Fun fact is that Trix actually got the cereal before in 1976 and 1980.

Here is the train commercial I was talking about, found on Youtube:

The Train Heist by the Trix Rabbit. Found on Youtube.

Toucan Sam:

Now for Toucan Sam. This toucan is a beloved brand mascot, which, like Trix the Rabbit, is still around. Toucan Sam is the smell sensitive mascot of the popular Kellogg's cereal Froot Loops.

Froot Loops was a favorite cereal of mine growing up and not just for the great taste. His commercials were great stories to watch unfold. He was always following his nose to find the Froot Loops. He and his two nephews and one niece would go on adventures and then get stumped. They then would need my help to figure it out. Then later on in the next commercial I would figure out what happened. For instance this happens with the Froot Monster who steals the Froot Loops. This dilemma spans a few commercials and in the end you want to know, do the Toucan's give him the cereal or not? The commercials can be found on Youtube. Below I have the second and last part of the story:

The second installment of the Froot Monster series. Found on Youtube.

The fourth installment of the Froot Monster series. Found on Youtube.

STATS:

Trix The Rabbit

                                                                       

Physical Status: White Rabbit. Taller than children.  

Special Abilities: Master of Disguise, Stealthy (possibly at the level of a ninja), Master Strategist.

Weaknesses: Disguises seem to fall apart. Too much celebration when he gets Trix in his hands

Enemies: Children that seem to be related to Detective Holmes.

Designed by: Joe Harris in 1959 (who was an advertising illustrator for Dancer Fitzgerald Sample ad agency before he left and started story-boarding for TV cartoons).

Age: 54 years old. 

Cereal: General Mills Trix Cereal.

Commercials: Stories of his plots and expeditions to steal the Trix cereal.They are interactive and create a want for the brand among its target youth audience. At times they keep the audience on the edge of their seats to see what happens in the next commercial.  

Toucan Sam

Physical Appearance: He is a Toucan, and exotic bird that has a beak with multiple colors on it. His beak is yellow, red, pink, and black and his feathers are blue.

Special Abilities: Amazing sense of smell (possibly better than a bloodhounds), Peoples Person, and Mad Sharing Skills.

Weaknesses: Not too observant of the area around him. Headstrong leader. 

Enemies: Dr. Peacock, Froot Monster, Froot Queen, Blackbeak, and many more.

Designed by: Manuel R. Vega in 1963, campaign now done by Pepper Films, Inc. 

Age: 50 years old

Cereal: Kellogg's Froot Loops

Commercials: Stories that featured him following his nose to the Froot Loops and then something would happen and they would have to reacquire the Froot Loops. They are interactive and keep their target youth audiences wanting to be tuned in to see what will happen next.

MY DECISION:

So which one is the better mascot? Well both are great at getting kids attention and getting them involved in their stories, which leads to more brand awareness and want for their respective cereals. Both mascots have great stories that keep the viewer (the children) involved and makes them want the product. This in turn gets them to ask their parents to get the product and thus hopefully leads to the parents purchasing it. Each has stories that are interactive and campaigns that keep suspense for the next commercial that comes out. In a way their stories act as mini cartoons. These are the reasons that I believe make Trix the Rabbit and Toucan Sam such great mascots.

So who wins?

Like I said I am a big fan of both Trix the Rabbit and Toucan Sam, but I would have to say that I like Trix just a little bit more. For me as a kid each commercial was like a new suspenseful moment waiting to see if he got caught or not trying to get the Trix and how it all played out. Toucan Sam is close behind because his campaigns always were interactive and kept my attention when I was a child. 

Let me know what you think. Who do you like more Trix or Sam? What brand characters would you like to see compared? Which are your favorites? 

Commercial Ad Story of the Week: Geico, Happier Than...

          There are a lot of great ad stories out there and in these parts of my blog I would like to look at some of the ad stories that are out there each week. Welcome to the Commercial Ad Story of the Week:

This Weeks Winner is: 

Geico, Happier Than... commercials.

The Commercials:

Listed below are a few examples of these videos so you can check them out if you have not seen them before:

This a video from Youtube posted by GEICO Insurance. In celebration of this Wednesday!

This is a video form Youtube Posted by GEICO Insurance.

This is a video form Youtube posted by GEICO Insurance

         If you liked these three commercials there is a Youtube mix you can check out with all of the other commercials they have done for this campaign.

Reasons I Chose These:

          I chose the Happier Than... ad stories for a couple of reasons. They are inventive stories that take people/animals/others/situations that people are familiar with and put comedic twists on them. For instance Paul Revere is a someone who is known by most people as the person who rode on his horse to warn everyone that the British were coming. Giving a cellphone adds comedy to the story but also gives the audience a base to judge Geico insurance. At the end they say people who get Geico are happier than the characters in the commercials which is pretty happy. This instills a sense in the audience that Geico can really make them happy. Who wouldn't want to be happier than an Antelope with night vision goggles? I would.

          Each of these different stories that pair the characters and what they have or are doing together are well thought out and obviously a lot of work was put into deciding which situations would really work and are funny. They tell good stories that have well written script. The ending is always consistent with the two guys with a ukulele and guitar who explain the commercial action and how happy people would be, at the same time with Geico's name displayed largely on the screen. These commercials lead to good brand awareness and also appeal to the audiences curious side, making them want to look up what Geico is and does. They leave them wondering how it will make them happy.

          Prepare for another Commercial Ad Story of the Week next week. If you have any ad stories you think are good let me know and maybe they will appear on of the Ad Stories of the Week.

What Brand Mascots Can Do For A Brand

Think back to your childhood and think about the cartoons you had on TV. Now think about those commercials and which ones come to mind?

McDonald's. Chuck E Cheese. Cool toy commercials when the toys are actually played with, the ones where an action figure like batman is breaking through a wall of cardboard barrels to fight the joker action figure (if you were born in the nineties you remember these I bet). And then there are cereal commercials: Trix, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Cocoa Puffs, Rice Crispies, Lucky Charms, and the list continues. I remember these commercials cause after seeing them I always wanted those cereals even if my parents did not want to buy them for me. 

What made these commercials (besides the possibility of eating them and getting a sugar high) was the brand mascots that each of these cereals had. You had Tony the Tiger, Lucky the Leprechaun, Trix the Rabbit, and Toucan Sam to name a few. Each one had their own unique background which only served to enthrall me deeper into the commercial.

Brand Mascots:

Today brand mascots still play a part in the big world of brands and advertising. They add to the brands. Some are more interactive like the cereal brand mascots, always having games or problems to be solved by the children that watched them. Some are meant to be more human and emotional so that audiences can connect better. An example of this would be the Geico Gecko and how he wrote a book titled, Your Only Human.

Brand mascots give the brand a face that comes automatically to mind if done right. Brand mascots help in our decision to even consider a brand. If done well they have a good back story and many have great personalities that help them to appeal to audiences. These brand mascots bring brand awareness to the brand as well by creating a connection between them and the brand. A brand mascot can even take a service and give substance to it like Flo for Progressive Insurance.

What My Blog Will Cover:

In this blog I will look at brand mascots and the aspects of certain ones that make them good or bad and some of the history of brand mascots. I will also look at some good ad stories and what makes them good. I encourage you to comment and put in your two cents for each post.

What are some of the commercials and brand mascots that stick in your mind?