20 Brand Mascots Everybody Knows (And 15 That Will Have Everybody Stumped)
- by Candace Winters
- – on
- in Lifestyle
We get bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands of advertising images every week. And with that kind of saturation, it can be hard for brands to stand out among the herd. Enter the brand mascot - one of the most effective ways for brands to sear their products and messaging into our collective memory.
Creating a super memorable advertising character is not easy - not every brand mascot lives on past its thirty second commercial in the cultural consciousness. But some brand mascots become so larger than life that it's nearly impossible to forget them and their taglines.
This quiz will test how well remembered those brand mascots really are and features a mix of some of the most beloved characters in advertising history along with a few new faces on the scene. Think it's going to be easy? Think again. Not everyone will be able to ace this quiz. Especially these days as it has become easier than ever to avoid commercial advertising altogether. After all, who doesn't skip past the commercials whenever possible? Or pay a little extra for streaming packages that bypass commercials completely?
Feel up to the challenge? Step up and take this brand mascot quiz. It's G-r-r-reat!
Name this mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
As far as brand mascots go, this guy is "grr-r-reat." We all recognize his booming voice in the Saturday morning commercials declaring that Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal is "Gr-r-reat," but who knew that he has been gracing cereal boxes for nearly sixty years? Six decades since he was first introduced, his popularity has shown no signs of slowing. In fact, he is so popular in some circles that it's lead to the banning of some social media users for making suggestive passes at the anthropomorphized character.
Name this brand icon for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
It's no wonder this guy has been the face of Kentucky Fried Chicken since its inception - it was his recipe of 11 secret herbs and spices that lead to the company's great success. And while the brand's spokesman has not changed in the preceding decades, recent ad campaigns have seen high-profile comedians and actors such as Norm MacDonald, Andy Richter, Rob Riggle, Rob Lowe, and even legendary country singer Reba McEntire playing the man behind the secret chicken recipe.
Name this brand mascot for Froot Loops.
Even though Froot Loops don't exactly taste like any fruit in particular, we could always follow our noses to that unmistakable bright red box of multicolored, sugary rings. At least, that's what the Froot Loops tropical bird brand mascot led us to believe. Fun fact: the colors of his beak correspond to the original three Froot Loop colors. We all remember his uncanny ability to sniff out Froot Loops from long distances, but how many of us remember his name?
Name this brand mascot for Pilsbury.
The PIlsbury Doughboy is one of the most iconic brand mascots of all time, and for very good reason. After all, who could possibly forget the inimitable "hee hee" that the Pilsbury Doughboy utters whenever someone gently pokes him in the tummy at the end of each commercial? The Pilsbury Doughboy may be synonymous with freshly baked cinnamon roll and oversized biscuits, and his giggle may be an official part of the pop culture landscape, but who knows his real name?
Name this brand mascot for Kool-Aid.
Who wants a tall glass of ice-cold, super-sugary Kool-Aid? On the go? How about a squeezable Kool-Aid Jammer? No? Perhaps what we need is a better pitchman. Perhaps one in the shape of an actual pitcher full of Kool-Aid? And he should be really enthusiastic about Kool-Aid. So much so that he will literally crash through brick walls to inform and delight people with that sweet, sweet fruit punch. Millennials most definitely remember the wall-breaking commercials, but who remembers the Kool-Aid spokesman's name?
Name this brand mascot for Proctor & Gamble.
This iconic brand mascot is as well-known for his ability to tidy a messy home as he is for his bald head and edgy earring. While most people remember him for his Magic Erasers and All Purpose Cleaning Sprays, Proctor & Gamble introduced the world to his sweet, sweet dancing skills in a now-infamous Super Bowl commercial. Who knew he had such smooth moves? His products probably have a permanent spot under just about everyone's kitchen sink, but who remembers his name?
Name this brand mascot for Cheetos.
Hey, it ain't easy being cheesy. And nobody knows that better than the Cheetos spokesman, a super chill yet also super intense bright orange cheetah. He was such a successful brand mascot that he even starred in two video games for Sega and Super Nintendo in the early 1990's. And while his latest incarnation is decidedly more edgy than the 90's version, he's still as popular as ever, proving that maybe being cheesy is easier than any of us thought.
Name this brand mascot for Nintendo.
Nintendo's main spokesman is so popular on his own, it can be hard to remember that he started out as a character in the original Donkey Kong game. The short, mustachioed Italian plumber would go on to star in his own series of super popular video games and eventually become the face of the company. This red-hatted character is easily one of the most iconic video game characters of all time so it makes sense that Nintendo would make him the company mascot.
Name this brand spokesman for Dos Equis.
What to say about the spokesman for Dos Equis? He once went to a psychic - just to warn her. He never says something tastes like chicken - not even chicken. He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels. He's so cool, mosquitoes refuse to bite him, just out of respect. He's never lost a game of chance and he is the life of parties that he's never attended. No wonder Dos Equis made him their spokesman.
Name this brand mascot spoofed by Will Ferrell on The Tonight Show.
McKee Foods was delightfully surprised when comedy superstar Will Ferrell showed up on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon dressed up like the adorable brand mascot of its line of snack cakes in an unprompted and unplanned bit of publicity. Well-known for its sweet treats such as Oatmeal Creme Pies, Cosmic Brownies, and Nutty Buddies, this line of snack cakes features a curly haired little girl as its brand mascot. Fun fact: this brand mascot's design was based on its founder's four-year-old granddaughter.
Name this brand mascot for Lucky Charms.
Everyone knows that Lucky Charms are one of the best of the sugary breakfast cereal varieties. Truly there is nothing better than tucking into a bowl of frosted oat puffs and a rainbow of pastel marshmallows that included actual rainbows. The marshmallow lineup may have changed over the years with the addition of pots of gold, leprechaun hats, shooting stars and, most recently, unicorns, but Lucky Charms remained the best of the best cereals. We all recognize the mascot on the cereal box, but who remembers his name?
Name the brand mascot for Nestle Nesquik.
Nestle Nesquik has been adding sweet flavor to plain old milk for more than seventy years, but it wasn't until the 1970's that the world was introduced to its brown bunny spokesman. Fun fact about the bunny: Barry Gordon, the actor who voices this mascot has also voiced characters on well-known kids' shows such as The Smurfs, Tom & Jerry Kids and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Everyone recognizes this brown bunny from the bright yellow Nesquik package, but who remembers his name?
Name this brand mascot for McDonald's.
Although he has largely been phased out of McDonald's commercials, this clown mascot will always have a strong association with the Golden Arches. First appearing in the 1960's, this red-headed clown originally lived in a fantasy world named McDonaldland with his friends Mayor McCheese, The Hamburgler, Grimace, The Early Bird and The Fry Kids. These days, he is probably best known for his charity houses where parents can stay overnight while visiting their children in chronic care facilities. Who remembers his name?
Name these brand mascots for Rice Krispies.
These beloved cartoon elves have been the face of Kellogg's Rice Krisipes cereal since 1933. Based on a Rice Krispies radio advertisement from the 1930s, these iconic brand mascots got their name from the sound the cereal makes when topped with milk. Fun fact: the trio was briefly a quartet in the 1950's when a fourth elf, named Pow was added to the mix who represented the cereal's nutritional value. Needless to say, Pow didn't stick around for very long.
Name this brand mascot for Progressive Insurance.
Progressive Insurance's perky saleswoman made her debut in television commercials just ten years ago, but she has already achieved iconic brand mascot status. She has appeared in more than one hundred commercials for Progressive insurance and there are social media fan groups dedicated to her awesomeness. The upbeat Progressive saleswoman has even become a popular Halloween costume. She is well-known for her cheerful antics, crisp white apron and blue headband, but who knows the name of this iconic brand mascot?
Name this brand mascot for Butterfinger.
Nobody better lay a finger on this kid's Butterfinger. This extremely recognizable 10-year old troublemaker from the longest-running scripted television show of all time, The Simpsons, did double duty as a candy bar spokesman for Butterfinger. And a recent social media campaign had the world searching for clues as to who put a finger on his prized Butterfinger. Called the "crispety, crunchety crime of the century," it was eventually revealed that his best bud, Milhouse Van Houten, was the culprit.
Name these brand mascots for M&M's.
There are six different official "spokescandies" for M&M's, but this dynamic duo is definitely the face of the brand. The red plain M&M is the head honcho of the two and was originally voiced by the very funny Jon Lovitz. Meanwhile, the yellow peanut M&M is the more childlike of the pair and voiced by award-winning actor, J.K. Simmons. Together, their commercial misadventures mostly involve not getting eaten by enthusiastic humans eager to find out whether it's true that they melt in your mouth and not in your hand.
Name this brand mascot.
There are a couple of stories behind the history of this highly recognizable brand mascot's image. One story says that he was a maître d'hôtel living in Chicago named Frank Brown. Another story says that he was a rice grower known for the high quality of his rice. Whatever the story, one thing is for sure, his kindly elder face and orange box are synonymous with rice. And in 2007, this brand mascot was "promoted" to "chairman of the board."
Name this brand mascot for Planters.
As a very formally dressed in-shell peanut, Planters' brand mascot certainly ranks among the classiest of advertising icons. With his top hat, monocle, white gloves, spatters and cane, he is one gentlemanly legume. In fact, in 2006 Planters held an online vote to determine whether to add a bow tie, cufflinks or a pocketwatch to his ensemble and the public voted to make no change to his appearance. And in 2010, Robert Downey, Jr. was announced as the voice of the brand icon.
Name this brand mascot for Domino's Pizza.
Domino's unleashed this brand mascot for a brief time in the 1980's. Dressed in a bright red suit with rabbit ears, this mascot was the epitome of all the challenges in getting a pizza in thirty minutes or less. He was eventually phased out of Domino's marketing when the company's "thirty minutes or less" delivery guarantee resulted in drivers resorting to unsafe driving to get the pizzas to customers on time. He has been brought back at various times throughout the 2000's, but hasn't had a major presence in the company's advertisements since the 1980's.
Name this brand mascot.
If Walt Disney taught us anything, its that you can't go wrong with an anthropomorphized mouse as a brand mascot. And while this animated rodent has undergone several cosmetic upgrades over the years, one thing that hasn't changed is his tagline: "Where a kid can be a kid." Who doesn't remember spending the occasional birthday party at this family fun center? The pizza, the games, the tickets, the prizes. It was all definitely an essential part of the childhood experience.
Name the brand mascot for Hamburger Helper.
Hamburger Helper offers a helping hand at dinner time, and in the case of its brand mascot, they literally mean a "helping hand." The four fingered glove with a bright red nose is an iconic commercial mascot. In fact, he recently caused a stir on social media when one user asked the question: What is under that glove, anyway? Hamburger Helper responded in hilarious fashion, with a picture of a squat, four armed skeleton. We know him from the box, but what is his name?
Name this brand mascot for Mad Magazine.
This unmistakable image of a funny looking boy with red hair, jug ears and a gap tooth has graced the cover of Mad Magazine since the 1950's. He has been featured on all but a handful of the humor magazine's more than 550 issues. He is almost never seen in profile, only in front view, directly from behind or in silhouette. His face is super recognizable, but his name will probably elude most people. Who among us knows this kid's name?
Name this brand mascot for Allstate Insurance.
Perfectly portrayed by actor Dean Winters, this brand mascot for Allstate Insurance is the human personification of everything that can go wrong in life, thus necessitating a good insurance policy. Things like, a portable grill setting a car on fire because it wasn't properly extinguished. Or like having to stay in a creepy roadside motel because cut-rate insurance policies don't offer roadside assistance. This unmistakable character was developed in direct response to other recognizable insurance brand mascots. What's his name?
Name this brand mascot for Pringles.
We all know that once you pop, you can't stop, but who knew that the mustachioed man on the Pringles can had a name? The friendly, oval-shaped face is there to remind us all of the popular potato crisps' uniform shape. The little guy may have undergone a few minor cosmetic changes over the years - he lost his eyebrows in 2001 - but we all still recognize him as the face on the Pringles can. We may have popped and never stopped but who among us knows his name?
Name this brand mascot for Honey Nut Cheerios.
General Mills recently made waves when they removed the iconic bee mascot from the boxes of its Honey Nut Cheerios boxes in a well-intentioned but flawed marketing campaign. The cereal manufacturer's heart may have been in the right place in its effort to increase the honeybee population by distributing packets of wildflower seeds to consumers to spread in their own backyards, but unfortunately many of the flower strains used were actually invasive species across much of North America. Thankfully, they eventually brought back their brand mascot.
Name this brand mascot for Toys'R'Us.
We didn't want to grow up, but sadly (and eventually) we did. And since that the Toys'R'Us brand is officially kaput, it seems we wouldn't have been Toys'R'Us kids regardless. The chain of toy stores may be long gone, but the jingle will live on forever in hearts and minds of good millennials everywhere who, no doubt, took advantage of the liquidation sales to recapture a bit of their lost childhood. We all remember the song, but who remembers the name of the long-necked spokesman?
Name this brand mascot for Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer's majestic brand mascot has graced the silver screen, delivering a hearty roar in the movie studio's signature title card before classic films such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. (Fun fact: His roar was silent until 1928.) This lion was even immortalized in statue form at the entrance of the MGM Grand Resort in Las Vegas. We've all heard his roar, but who knows this lion's real name?
Name this brand mascot.
Best known for its super cheesy Hot-N-Ready pizzas and lunchtime deals, this chain might not be as large as competitors Pizza Hut and Domino's, but it definitely has a devoted following of fans. Depending on where the brand spot is airing, this restaurant chain's Ancient Greece-inspired advertising mascot might say, "Pizza, Pizza!" or "Two Pizzas!" or "Delivery, Delivery!" or even, "Quality, Quality!" We all recognize his toga and tagline, but who among us knows this little Greek guy's real name?
Name this brand mascot for Goldfish Baked Crackers.
We love the fishes because they're so delicious. These fish shaped baked crackers are a childhood snack staple. And while they come in a variety of flavors like pretzel, ranch, Parmesan and pizza, the cheddar cheese version is the most popular. With a slogan like, "The snack that smiles back," it makes sense that its brand mascot would be a smiling goldfish wearing a cool pair of sunglasses. We all love the fishes at snacktime, but who knows the name of their mascot?
Name this brand mascot for AT&T.
Having a helpful customer service representative as a brand mascot is a great way to connect with current and potential customers - just ask Progressive Insurance. AT&T has their own friendly face of the company with this helpful AT&T Wireless store manager. Her upbeat demeanor and total knowledge of the company's service offering makes her an ideal store manager. We've seen her help AT&T customers navigate the confusing world of cell phone service providers, but how many of us know her name?
Name this brand mascot for Mucinex.
What better brand mascot for a product designed to clear chest congestion than a literal representation of said congestion? Mucinex's brand mascot may be green and he may be slimy, but as far as animated commercial icons go, he is pretty effective. And memorable. There is no mistaking what the expectorant is designed to do with such an obvious representation. Fun Fact: The green blob was originally voiced by comedian T.J. Miller. We've seen his commercials, but who knows his name?
Name this brand mascot for Hawaiian Punch.
Who knew there were other flavors of Hawaiian Punch than Fruit Juicy Red? It also came in flavors like Polar Blast, Orange Citrus and Green Berry Rush, but we all know that the red stuff was the best stuff. The sweet punch's mascot was a cartoon surfer dude, riding a wave on the label. And while many people may have thought he had a head of red curls, he was actually just sporting a very funky red hat. Who remembers his name?
Name this brand mascot for Keebler Snacks.
The Keebler Elves definitely rank among the most popular and successful brand mascots of all time. Working in a hollow tree factory, these magical elves bake the tasty Keebler cookies and crackers that we have all come to love. Chips Deluxe, E.L. Fudge Cookies, and, of course, the Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies are all lovingly crafted by a team of pint-sized elves in an enchanted forest. The head elf in charge is a red-hatted, distinguished older elf. Who remembers his name?
Name the brand mascot for Fruit Stripe Gum.
Fruit Stripe Gum was a staple of many a millennial childhood, and while the fruity flavor was always fleeting, the memories were far more lasting. Who could forget the temporary tattoos featuring the fruity gum's brand mascot: a very athletic zebra who could often be seen playing soccer or basketball, riding a bicycle, snowboarding, and eating grass. Fun fact: Fruit Stripe gum has been around since 1969 and in the late 1970's they came out with a chocolate version. Yum?