Having a cartoon guy as a brand mascot has brought vast success for many companies we now admire and draw inspiration from, some of them older than a century! That’s why here at GraphicMama we’ve decided to make a retrospection and honor some of the most successful brand cartoon characterdesigns of all time.
Here comes our collection of 21 iconic brand mascotswhich have nothing but one quality in common: they have all brought ridiculously huge fame to their brands!
1. Michelin Man by Michelin
Debut: 1894
The iconic brand cartoon spokesmanof the popular tire company was named Bibendum but it has been widely known as the Michelin Man! Being presented to the world in the distant 1894 at the Lyon Exhibition by the Michelin brothers, the idea behind this plump brand mascotdesign was to represent a person made of tires. Little did the creators know that this charming fictional guy would become a largely popular and recognizable figure which has significantly contributed to the vast success of its brand.
2. Mr. Peanut by Planters
Debut: 1916
This famous peanut gentleman has turned 100 years this year! Mr. Peanut was actually not drawn by some famous illustrator but by a 14-year-old boy back in 1916, 10 years after the company was founded. Ever since, this brand mascot design has so much grown on the public that when Planters conducted a survey 10 years ago about whether to add a bow tie, a pocket watch, or some cufflinks to it, the public responded was: Don’t change a thing! A great design never gets old, doesn’t it?
3. The Laughing Cow by… The Laughing Cow
Debut: 1921
Well, here’s a brand mascot that has evolved a lot throughout the years! Born in 1921, this cheerful cow has appeared on the wrapping of all company’s products ever since, making them highly recognizable. Not only is this character instantly related to quality dairy products but it also puts the viewers at ease since it is always illustrated laughing. A strategy that simply works!
4. Mickey Mouse by The Walt Disney Company
Debut: 1928
Perhaps the first thought that pops in most people’s minds when they hear a great brand mascot: Mickey Mouse! Although these days a lot of cartoon characters are easily associated with Walt Disney Company, this friendly, lively mouse has been the official cartoon representativeof the giant company ever since its creation, thus making it one of the oldest mascots which are extremely popular worldwide and loved by people of all ages.
5. Jolly Green Giant by B&G Foods
Debut: 1928
Guess 1928 was a successful year of creating memorable, long-lasting brand mascot designs. Here comes another one that survived through all these years: Jolly Green Giant appearing on all the products of the Green Giant brand. The cheerful friendly superhuman has made the brand easily distinguishable from its competitors and turned it into one of the brand leaders in the industry of frozen and canned vegetables. Well done, big guy!
6. Rich Uncle Pennybags by Monopoly
Debut: 1936
Rich Uncle Pennybags, more widely known as simply Mr. Monopoly has been around since 1936 but it was not until 1946 that this famous drawn elderly gentleman actually received his name. Undeniably, the rich cartoon guy in a tuxedo has become one of the most recognizable brand mascot designs since it was made the star of the original Monopoly game and all related games of the company. These days, he keeps appearing on all new Monopoly editions and is even incorporated in the brand’s logo.
7. Tony the Tiger by Kellog’s Frosted Flakes
Debut: 1951
This one is often given as an example of a highly successful mascot and with a good reason! The cereal brand’s success simply wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the friendly tiger character Tony, showing his charming smile and giving his approval with a thumb up from the cereal’s box. Being on the marketing field for over half a century, Tony has become a favorite cartoon character not only to a lot of children but to their parents, too!
8. Kool-Aid Man by Kool-Aid
Debut: 1954
Initially known as the Pitcher Man, this unconventionally shaped brand mascot was designed with a large smile and a pitcher as a head entirely full of Kool-Aid flavored drink. Targeting the kids as an audience, this famous mascot has become the perfect example of a brand character design depicting exactly what the company is about – a refreshing drink that would quench the thirst of any child.
9. Cornelius (Corny) Rooster by Kellogg’s Cornflakes
Debut: 1957
The famous rooster cartoon character was not always a spokesman for the brand but it was certainly the most memorable one since it was designed with a deep meaning. This friendly colorful rooster Cornelius was not only meant to be a fun and playful animal brand mascot but he was also a symbol of the early wakening and starting off the day right – with a healthy breakfast.
10. Mr. Clean by Procter & Gamble
Debut: 1958
Being very little changed over the years, this bold muscular man-made brand was the best-seller on the market for just six months in 1958! The huge success stayed by the cleaning company’s side for many years ahead, being an inseparable part of all its marketing activities and campaigns. Nowadays, this muscular cartoon guy is still highly recognizable and keeps its brand in one of the leading places in the industry.
11. Coco the Monkey by Coco Pops
Debut: 1963
Appearing as a brand cartoon representativein the different countries for quite different timeframes (e.g, for just two years in the USA but for more than half a century in the UK), this friendly playful monkey with a cap has become a favorite face of many children, smiling at them from the box of their favorite breakfast cereal. The design of this cute perky monkey easily evokes connotations of laughter and entertainment which is the reason he managed to captivate the hearts of so many kids all over the world.
12. Poppin’ Fresh by Pillsbury
Debut: 1965
The Pillsbury Doughboy has been on the marketing stage since 1965 as a unique boy character made of dough. The design of this cheerful cartoon character includes a scarf and a chef hat which give the impression that this chubby fella is a real master of cooking. To a huge extent, this smiling boy contributed to the success of the Poppin’ Fresh product line and even started appearing in other brands’ commercials.
13. Julio Pringles by Pringles
Debut: 1968
The choice of this charming mustachioed man as a brand cartoon spokesmanof the super famous and successful chips company has a meaning that is not quite obvious at first but makes a lot of sense if you think about it more deeply. Julio Pringles has a head shaped like a piece of chips which, by the way, implies that all the chips pieces inside the unique package are equally sized. Also, the mustaches give the feeling of maturity and professionalism. Great job!
14. Quicky by Nesquik
Debut: 1973
The most famous bunny brand mascotloved by many people all over the world – the Nesquick’s Quicky! The choice of this animal as a brand representative is not a coincidence. The bunny evokes instant connotations with speed which implies: you can easily prepare the chocolate-flavored drink, then quickly drink it and you’re good to go! Quicky’s outfit which gives him the really “cool” look is also symbolic and an inseparable part of this cartoon character’s design.
15. Mario by Nintendo
Debut: 1981
Did you know that this memorable Italian plumber character was initially called Jumpman? That’s right! Even though Mario was not designed with the typical appearance of a superhero, he grew on the wide public so much that he has now become an iconic character, recognizable all over the world. An interesting fact about this cartoon character’s design is that it was entirely determined by the limitations of the graphics of the early video games – blocky pixels are the reason he is now a proud owner of a mustache and a big nose!
16. Captain Morgan
Debut: 1983
Inspired by a real person, the famous alcoholic beverage company’s brand herowas actually designed by Don Maitz, an artist who is a master of science fiction illustrations. Being the only rum brand with a pirate captain as a mascot, this character made the alcoholic beverage highly recognizable among the others and became a symbol of quality rum.
17. Chester Cheetah by Cheetos
Debut: 1986
The famous cheetah mascot has been by Cheetos’ side for a few decades now. This memorable animal character has overgone several transformations throughout the years regarding the message he conveys to his target audience but his overall appearance has pretty much stayed the same. Besides being the face of all Cheetos’ products and the star of all Cheetos’ commercials, this cool cartoon guy even became the protagonist in a few Nintendo games.
18. Mr. Muscle by S. C. Johnson & Son
Debut: 1986
The same year that Cheetos presented their famous cheetah character, another company in another industry came up with a handsome superhero cartoon character who has now become a legend: Mr. Muscle! This muscular brand mascot, owned by S. C. Johnson & Son, became highly popular as the tough guy who could clean any surface with his cleaning detergent as a powerful weapon, which led to the huge success of his brand.
19. The M&M’s Spokescandies by Mars
Debut: 1995
The company with not one but five recognizable mascots! The choice of the cute colorful spokes candies as brand representatives was such a clever decision of Mars since these guys entirely gave the idea of the M&M’s product line and simply couldn’t be confused with anything else. Since they were five, the company gave them names corresponding to their colors which made them super easy and intuitive for the audience to remember. Nice move, Mars!
20. Colonel Sanders by KFC
Debut: 1998
Here is a brand mascot design resembling the founder of the company itself: Colonel Sanders, a founder of KFC! Who would have thought that a human face could make such a memorable and widely known mascot, incorporated even in the company’s logo? Created years after the death of its founder, this friendly smiling face with glasses, white hair and goatee certainly have turned out to be a super successful choice of a brand character conveying professionalism and vast chef experience.
21. Geico Gecko
Debut: 2000
The quirky lizard character’s name was actually chosen due to the many mispronunciations of the brand name itself. Being the first most identifiable brand representativeof the car insurance company, this cartoon character has certainly become a legend. True, it was not designed as the usual cute-looking brand cartoonbut still managed to grow on the audience as a little green insurance expert conveying professionalism and reliability.
Which other famous brand mascot would you add to this list?
FAQs
What is the most recognizable mascot of all time? ›
Mickey Mouse is a lively, friendly mouse who took on a life of his own since an original debut in 1928. Today, the character is far more than just a brand mascot – he's also a famous personality in his own right, with endless tv shows, books, and movies.
What was the first brand mascot in history of brand? ›Launched in 1882, the Quaker Oats man was the first (according to the company) branded cereal mascot.
What are three brand mascots examples? ›The Michelin Man, Mr. Peanut, and Ronald McDonald have all successfully carried out the primary role of the mascot: represent and reinforce the personality of the brand. Let's take a look at the types of brand mascots and some notable successful examples.
What is the most overused mascot? ›Bulldogs. “Bulldogs” is the most frequently used nickname/mascot in NCAA Division One athletics. Butler Bulldogs (Horizon League) located in Indianapolis, Indiana; Butler is another member of the 2011 Final Four.
What is America's favorite mascot? ›Product Description. America's Favorite Mascot chronicles the history of the U.S. Army mules at West Point. West Point has a rich history that has impacted United States History and the United States Military immensely. Alongside the esteemed graduates of West Point have been their beloved mules.
Who is Walmart's mascot? ›A Lover of His Fellow Animals, If Not Big Red
He took part in Maverick Days at The Walmart Museum in which he posed for pictures and helped kids learn about the importance of safety. Through all his service, though, Maverick remained a dog.
- Aubie the Tiger (Auburn)
- The Duck (Oregon)
- Cosmo the Cougar (BYU)
- The Bearcat (Cincinnati)
- Cocky (South Carolina)
- Otto the Orange (Syracuse)
- Sparty (Michigan State)
- The Mountaineer (West Virginia)
Each year, Louis Vuitton's mascot Vivienne embarks on a new adventure in the annual holiday small leather good collection. After traveling around the world in last year's collection, Vivienne is celebrating the holidays this year at a vibrant carnival.
Can a brand have 2 mascots? ›Whether you are attending more than one event at the same time or simply want to increase your digital presence, having two mascots will increase the visibility of your brand. Increasing your company's visibility will help promote your message and increase engagement with your customers or audience.
What are the 3 types of brands? ›- A corporation or company brand.
- A product brand.
- A personal brand.
What brands mascot was modeled after a real person? ›
Colonel Sanders
Kentucky Fried Chicken's mascot is modeled after the real thing, Colonel Harland David Sanders, the company's founder. Though from Tennessee originally, he started selling fried chicken on the side of the road during the Great Depression.
Brand mascots are of three types: human characters (natural person, superheroes, fictional character), animal characters (tiger, rabbit, cow, jaguar), and object characters (inanimate objects, anthropomorphic characters).
What is the banana brand mascot? ›Miss Chiquita, our first lady of fruit
In her early years, Miss Chiquita found fame in the fruit aisle as an animated banana. Drawn in 1944 by cartoonist Dik Browne, the creator and illustrator of Hägar the Horrible and the Hi and Lois comics, Miss Chiquita gave a friendly, personal face to the Chiquita brand.
Mascot Statistics By Gender
30.9% of mascots are women and 69.1% of mascots are men.
1. Elsie the Cow. The Borden Dairy Company created Elsie the Cow in 1936, making her one of the oldest, and most recognizable, brands mascots in U.S. history. During the 1940s, when Elsie was voiced by Hope Emerson, she was more well-known than many human celebrities of the time.
Who was the first modern day mascot? ›Sports mascots
Many sports teams in the United States have official mascots, sometimes enacted by costumed humans or even live animals. One of the earliest was a taxidermy mount for the Chicago Cubs, in 1908, and later a live animal used in 1916 by the same team.
Bulldogs
It's no wonder the bulldog stands as of the most common high school mascots around today.
But in 2006, Smiley faded away. "He didn't fit in with our advertising at the time. We were taking a different approach," Walmart spokeswoman Danit Marquardt told CNNMoney. "He has been used intermittently, but he hasn't been an active part of our advertising."
What was Walmart's old name? ›| Logo since 2008 | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters (“Home Office”) in December 2012 | |
| Formerly | Wal-Mart Discount City (1962–1969) Wal-Mart, Inc. (1969–1970) Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (1970–2018) |
| Type | Public |
| Traded as | NYSE: WMT DJIA component S&P 100 component S&P 500 component |
Walmart was said to have been responsible for the sale of 30 percent of tropical, freshwater, fish sales in the U.S., and made the decision to stop sales due to pressure from consumers concerned about the welfare of the animals.
What is the best human mascot? ›
The Mountaineer, currently being portrayed by Mary Roush, won the honor the Hall of Fame's inaugural voting for its 2022 class. The Mountaineer has been named the Best Live Human Mascot by the National Mascot Hall of Fame.