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List of American advertising characters

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

Contents

Characters

Character Product Years used Notes
The Burger Family: Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger, Baby Burger A&W Restaurants 1963–1974
The Great Root Bear (Rooty) A&W Root Beer
A&W Restaurants		 debuted 1974
The Aflac duck Aflac insurance 2000–present originally voiced by Gilbert Gottfried, fired in 2011; now voiced by Daniel McKeague.
The Ajax pixies Ajax cleanser 1948–1950s speaking voices are Joe Silver, Hans Conreid and June Foray
The White Knight Ajax detergent debuted 1963
Speedy Alka-Seltzer Alka-Seltzer 1952–1964, 2010–present voiced by D--- Beals
Mayhem Allstate insurance 2010–present actor Dean Winters
Bank Executive (aka focus group marketer) Ally Financial debuted 2009 Candid Camera-type setting; Tricks real unsuspecting children with offers and leaves them hurt or upset after adding rules and fees. Played by RJ Kelly.
Loveable Truly Alpha-Bits cereal 1964–early 1970s postman (voiced by Jim Nabors)
Alpha-Bits Wizard 1970s–1980s
Alfie the Alpha-Bits Cereal Wonder Dog 1980s
Alpha 2000s–2021 computer who makes Alpha-Bits
Alpha Pig; Princess Presto; Super Why; Wooster; Wonder Red 2012–2021 CGI-animated child stars of Super Why! from PBS
Kids 1970s–1990s
Alphabet letters 1990s–early 2000s Animated letters who are in cereal
Clip AMC Theatres 1991–2009 figure made out of discarded movie film who appears in the 'coming attractions' and 'feature presentation' trailers seen at AMC movie theaters.
AMC Amazing Icons 2012–present icons originally appeared in policy trailers advising audience that "it's movie time, not phone-talking time"; later appeared in the 'coming soon' and 'it's movie time!' trailers seen at AMC movie theaters as CGI-animated characters.
luggage-mauling gorilla American Tourister 1970–1980s
Oven Mitt Arby's restaurants 2003–2006 voiced by Tom Arnold
Jeeves Ask.com 1996–2006
Lily Adams, the AT&T Store manager AT&T 2013–present informs customers about AT&T's sharing plans, played by Milana Vayntrub
Aunt Jemima Aunt Jemima 1893–2020
Bacardi & Cola Bacardi 2003
Dirty Sludge, Sticky Valve, Gummy Ring, & Blackie Carbon Bardahl engine additive 1953
Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers 1985–1991 played by David Joseph Rufkahr (Bartles) and D--- Maugg (Jaymes)
Big Boy Big Boy restaurants 1937–present known for statues of figure outside of Big Boy restaurants, character in Adventures of the Big Boy comic book series hamburger of same name; live-action spots in the 1970s by Jonathan Winters
Dolly 1956–present Big Boy's girlfriend in Adventures of the Big Boy comic book series
the grandmother in the back seat BMW X5 2015–present irritates her entire family with exaggerated stories while the parents are driving
the Bonny Maid Bonny Maid floor cover products 1949–1950 played by Anne Francis
Boo Berry Boo Berry cereal 1972–present
Elsie the Cow Borden 1938–present
Rosie the waitress Bounty paper towels 1970–1990 played by Nancy Walker
The "A Little Better Gas Station" Crew BP Connect Gas Stations 2007–present plays to the song "LA" by Message of the Blues
Floyd D. Duck Bubble Yum bubble gum
Bud Ice penguin Bud Ice beer 1996 known for ominously singing "Doo-be-doo-be-doo..."
Spuds MacKenzie Bud Light beer 1987–1990  
Johnny, the Bud Light guy 1995 known for catchphrase "I love you, ma-a-a-n!"; played by Rob Roy Fitzgerald
Bud Knight 2017–2019
Budweiser Frogs Budweiser beer 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.
Frank and Louie, lizards 1998 main adversaries to the Budweiser frogs.
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 and Jeff Burger Chef restaurants 1954–1996 voiced by Paul Winchell
The Burger King Burger King restaurants 1974–1990, 2004–2011, 2016–present  
Sir Shake-A-Lot 1976–1980 knight who craved milk shakes
The Burger Thing 1976–1980 large hamburger puppet
The Duke of Doubt 1976–1980 arch-nemesis of the Burger King
The Wizard of Fries 1976–1980 robot powered by French fries
Burger King Kids Club Gang 1990–mid-2000s Kid Vid, a blond Caucasian male who loved video games and technology; he was the leader of the group. Boomer, a sports loving Caucasian tomboy with red hair tied into a ponytail. I.Q., a male Caucasian nerd with ginger hair and freckles who wore red glasses, a green lab coat, and a pocket protector. Jaws, a tall African-American male with an insatiable appetite. J.D., a dog and the group's mascot. Lingo, a multi-lingual, Hispanic male who liked art and carried an easel. Snaps, a blonde Caucasian female who always carried her camera. Wheels, a Caucasian paraplegic male in a wheelchair. Jazz, an Asian girl who loved music and wore a beret. (Jazz added in 2000)
Herb 1985 played by John Merrick
Fighting chickens Spicy and TC 2004
Duke the Dog Bush's baked beans 1993–present Jay Bush's canine companion who always tries to sell his owner's secret recipe; voiced by Robert Cait
Buster Brown and his dog Tige Buster Brown shoes 1904–present live-action spots by Jerry Marin
The California Raisins California Raisin Advisory Board debuted 1987 singing, dancing California raisins
Car Fox Carfax debuted 2008 helps people buy used cars
Joe Camel Camel cigarettes 1987–1997  
The Campbell's Soup kids Campbell's Soup debuted 1904  
Mr. No Capital One 2000s played by David Spade
Cap'n Crunch Cap'n Crunch cereal 1963–present created by Jay Ward Productions; originally voiced by Daws Butler
Mabel the waitress Carling Black Label beer 1950s played by Jean Goodspeed (1951 through mid-1950s)
The Carl's Jr. Star Carl's Jr. restaurants 1960s–present has become Western U.S. counterpart of Hardee's
Maria Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013–present host of the cooking show Recipes for Disaster, in which she uses old family recipes but does not follow food safety properly, and her husband is aware of this as he avoids eating the cooked meals; those who do later suffer food poisoning as pointed out on screen or by the announcer.
Mr. Whipple Charmin bathroom tissue 1965–1989 played by D--- Wilson
The Charmin Bears 2000s
The Cheerios Kid and Sue Cheerios 1950s, 1980s, 2012
Cherri O'Leary 1940s
Chef Boyardee Chef Boyardee canned pastas based on company founder Hector Boiardi
Chester Cheetah Cheetos snacks 1986–present voiced by Pete Stacker
Bumblebee Chevrolet Camaro 2007–present part of cross-promotion with the Transformers film series; also used in a television ad and sold as a level trim in the Camaro option features
The Babysitter Chevrolet Tahoe 2014 teenager who demands more money after the mother takes her home in the family's new 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and believes that they are worth more after she sees the features.
Hy Finn Chevron (Standard Oil of California) debuted 1958 voiced by Paul Ford
the Chevron Cars 1995–present  
The Chick-fil-A cows Chick-fil-A 1995–present known for the catchphrase "Eat Mor Chikin" (sic)
Catalina, the Chicken of the Sea mermaid Chicken of the Sea 1952–present voiced by Darla Hood in TV commercials
Mother Nature Chiffon Margarine 1970s–1980s best known for catchphrase "It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature!" Played by Dena Dietrich; Voice-over by Mason Adams
Miss Chiquita Banana Chiquita bananas 1944–present  
Chuck E. Cheese Chuck E. Cheese restaurants 1977–present voiced by Duncan Brannan until 2012 when he was replaced by Jaret Reddick (due to the revamp of Chuck E.). However Brannan's voice was still used for the Chuck E Cheese Animatronic and music video shows (in studio C), that are shown inside the restaurants until late 2012.
Blue Bird CinéGroupe 1987–present
Front Row Joe Cinemark movie theaters 1988–1999, 2004–2011 2019–present animated cat; sidekicks over the years have included Starstruck Penny (originally Popcorn Penny) and Clyde
Wendell, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch chef Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal 1984–2009
'Citizens' of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Cisco Systems 2010–present fictionalized version of the real town as visited by Canadian actor Elliot Page, a native Nova Scotian
Sonny the Cuckoo Bird Cocoa Puffs cereal 1960s–present originally voiced by Chuck McCann
The Flintstones characters Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles cereal 1970–present
Columbia Columbia Pictures 1924–present based on a representation of Columbia, a personification of the United States
Josephine the plumber Comet cleanser 1960s–1970s played by Jane Withers
The Slowskys Comcast 1997–present pair of turtles (living as a married couple in the suburbs) who favor DSL over High Speed internet; voiced by Andrew Donnelly and Rachael Harris;
inspired Shaw Communications' The Snailskis in Canada.
Condom Man Condomman.com 2003–present  
Jack and Connie Consumer Cellular 2011–present retired couple who travel across the country in a RV
Cookie Jarvis Cookie Crisp cereal 1977–1985  
Cookie Crook 1981–1997
Cookie Cop 1985–1997
Chip the Dog 1991–2005
Chip the Wolf 2005–present
Sarah Tucker Cool Whip dessert topping 1960s played by Marge Redmond
Coors Light Twins Coors Light beer played by the Klimaszewski Twins
The Coppertone Girl Coppertone sun-care products 1944–present
Cornelius the rooster Corn Flakes cereal originally voiced by Dallas McKennon, voiced in 1960s by Andy Devine
Count Alfred Chocula Count Chocula cereal 1971–present  
Sylvester P. Smythe Cracked magazine 1958–present
Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo. Cracker Jack 1918–present
Cracker Jill
Dr Jerry Crazy Eddie 1972–1989 performed by DJ Jerry Carroll
Rastus the Cook Cream of Wheat hot cereal 1890–2020 believed to be from a photograph of Frank L. White, a Chicago chef who reportedly was paid five dollars to pose in a chef's hat and jacket
Arthur Goodwin, pharmacist Crest toothpaste 1970s played by Arthur O'Connell
Crows Candy Mascot Crows 1910s–present
Phoebe Snow Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad c. 1903–1966? A woman passenger wearing spotless white clothing to show that the railroad used cleaner-burning anthracite coal which would not dirty passengers' clothes.
DQ Lips Dairy Queen restaurants 2006–2011 Voiced by Oliver Vaquer
Steven Jackson Dell computers 2000–2003 known for quotes like "Dude, you got a Dell"; played by Benjamin Curtis
Diet Coke hunk Diet Coke 1990s played by Lucky Vanous
"Alternative" Rob Lowe DirecTV 2014–present Rob Lowe in dual roles
Hannah Davis and her talking horse 2015–present model Hannah Davis pitching DirecTV on a beach accompanied by a talking horse who brags about himself ("The Horse's Mouth" as alluded by Davis)
"Alternative" NFL players 2015–present part of NFL Sunday Ticket campaign, with NFL players in dual roles similar to Lowe's
The Settlers 2016–present pioneering family who refuses to switch from cable
Peggy Discover Card 2009–present a bearded man with a foreign accent (Romanian) who works at "USA Prime Credit," a sham credit company located in a unknown frozen location who preys on its customers by trying to get information on their credit cards. Played by Romanian-American actor Tudor Petrut.
The Hopper family Dish Network 2012–2017 Boston-area family pronounces it "Hoppa."
Ned the Banker Ditech 2002–2006 played by Ron Michaelson; shouts the catch phrase "Lost another loan to Ditech!"; now the mascot for CashCall Mortgage
The Noid Domino's Pizza 1980s–1990s voiced by Pons Maar
Donny and Dottie Dot 1992–1994 the dynamic duo, embarked on a cheesy adventure in the world of pizza. These two pepperoni pals, with their saucy personalities, decided to explore the Domino’s Pizza universe.
Dr. Cravin 1998–1999 a Chuckimated villain.
Bad Andy 2000–2001 a troubled monkey by The Jim Henson Company.
Doublemint Twins Doublemint chewing gum introduced 1960s
The Most Interesting Man in the World Dos Equis 2006–present Played by Jonathan Goldsmith from 2006–2016; replaced by Augustin Legrand in 2016–present
Major, the Dreyfus lion Dreyfus investments debuted 1960s
Fred the baker Dunkin' 1981–1997 known for quote "Time to make the donuts"; played by Michael Vale
The Puttermans Duracell batteries 1990s
The Dutch boy Dutch Boy Paint 1907–present
Reddy Kilowatt Electricity generation 1926–present used by up to 300 investor-owned utilities world-wide from 1926, although use declined in the 1970s and few remain. Voiced by Walter Tetley in two short films.
Elmer the Bull Elmer's Products 1940s-present Note:originally the mate for Elsie the Cow of Borden's dairy products.
Jacko Energizer batteries late-1980s known for catchphrase "Oi!"; played by Australian footballer Mark 'Jacko' Jackson
Energizer Bunny 1989–present
Esso tiger / Exxon tiger Esso/Exxon debuted 1964 See ExxonMobil website  
Erin Esurance Esurance 2005–2009 animated spy
Eveready batteries Eveready "9 lives" cat debuted c. 1920s–1930s
Fantanas Fanta (US only) 2002–present fictional spokesmodels; sings musical catchphrase "Don'cha Wanna, Wanta Fanta!" Five incarnations since its debut, latter revived in 2017 as dance ensemble with one male member.
Mr. Spleen, fast-talking executive Federal Express 1982 played by John Moschitta Jr.
Orange Bird Florida Citrus Commission 1970s created by Walt Disney Productions
Axelrod the dog Flying "A" service stations 1960s
The Ford dog Ford auto debuted 1952
Franken Berry cereal Franken Berry 1971–present
Fruit Brute Fruit Brute cereal 1974–1982
Ethel the cook Frank's Red Hot Sauce 2011–present elderly woman who uses the catchphrase "I Put That S*** on Everything!" in front of the people who taste her food after basting it with the sauce.
The FCR Band
Victorious Secrets		 FreeCreditReport.com 2006–2010, 2012–present (former) 2010–present (latter) The lead singer in the FreeCreditReport (FCR) Band was played by French-Canadian actor-singer Eric Violette. Violette's singing voice was lip-synced by another singer because of Violette's thick Francophone accent. In 2010 the group Victorious Secrets won a contest to replace the faux band in a new series of ads. In 2012 the faux band returned in a new series of ads.
Wendell the baker French Toast Crunch cereal 1995–late 1990s
Frito Bandito Fritos 1960s voiced by Mel Blanc
The Frito Spokesbag 2012–present
Frito Kid 1952–1967 used for advertising at Disneyland
Yipes Fruit Stripe chewing gum 1962–present
Sammy Sands Gadgets 1983–1991 Sammy Sands was an animatronic piano player at Gadgets, a high-scale FEC
GEICO gecko GEICO 1999–present voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Dave Kelly, Richard Steven Horvitz, Jake Wood, and others
GEICO Cavemen 2004–present played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ben Weber, John Lehr, and Ben Wilson
Maxwell, The GEICO pig 2010–present
Mike, the camel 2010–2020 reminds people that he annoys that Wednesday is "HUMP DAY!”
The squirrels 2008–present congratulated themselves after running a vehicle off the road
Spy mom 2010–present always on her phone trying to talk to her son (she is unaware that he is a spy operative). She also is aware of the GEICO characters and wonders how they ended up in the commercial shoot during a contest sponsored by the insurer in 2018 ("No wonder they call it 'Hollyweird!’”).
Betty Crocker General Mills 1921–present
The Gerber baby Gerber baby products 1927–present sketched by Dorothy Hope Smith, depicts four-month-old neighbor Ann Turner; commercials voiced by Tex Brashear
Blue Blade razors Gillette Sharpie the parrot 1952–1960
The Gold Dust Twins Gold Dust Washing Powder 1880s–1940s  
The Quisenberrys Golden Corral 2015
Choo-Choo Charlie Good & Plenty candy 1950–1970s
Gorton's Fisherman Gorton's of Gloucester Fish products 1964–present
Granny Goose Granny Goose snacks
Jolly Green Giant Green Giant vegetables 1928–present originally voiced by Herschel Bernardi; then Len Carlson
Little Green Sprout
The running Greyhound Greyhound Lines 1937–present also used a live greyhound in TV promotions.
Lefty (The Helping Hand) Hamburger Helper 1977–present voiced by Patrick Coyle
Hamm's Beer bear Hamm's Beer debuted 1952  
Harbie The Seal Harbor Gasoline
The Hardee's Star Hardee's restaurants 1997–present
Gilbert Giddyup, Speedy McGreedy 1970's, 1980's
Hartford Elk The Hartford insurance debuted 1974
Punchy (the Hawaiian Punch Guy), and Oaf/Opie Hawaiian Punch debuted 1961
John Holiday Holiday Inn 1950s–1980s Mascot was Paul Revere-like character
Mr. Opportunity Honda 2004–2011
Strawberry Shortcake Honda 2014 CGI doll version of the character
Buzz the bee Honey Nut Cheerios cereal originally voiced by Arnold Stang
King Ding Dong / King Don Hostess Brands
Captain Cupcake
Fruit Pie the Magician 1973–2006
Chauncey Chocodile
Chipper Brownie
Chief Big Wheels
Happy HoHo
Suzy Q
Captain Obvious Hotels.com 2014–present ad campaign created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky, portrayed by Brandon Moynihan
Happy Hotpoint Hotpoint home appliances debuted 1955 played by Mary Tyler Moore
Howard Johnson's Restaurants 1930s–1970s Created by John Alcott
Simple Simon & The Pieman Howard Johnson's Motor Lodges 1950s–1970s
The Hubba-Bubba Gum Fighter Hubba Bubba bubble gum debuted 1979 voiced by Don Collier
ICEE Polar Bear ICEE frozen drinks
Bucky Beaver Ipana toothpaste 1957–1959 voiced by Jimmie Dodd
Joe Isuzu Isuzu auto 1986–1990 played by David Leisure
Little old winemaker Italian Swiss Colony wine 1960s played by Ludwig Stössel, voiced by Jim Backus
Jack, the ping-pong-ball-headed man Jack in the Box restaurants 1994–present  
Elephant and Bartender Jax Beer late-1950s and early-1960s voiced by Mike Nichols and Elaine May
Chinese baby Jell-O gelatin debuted 1959 voiced by Allen Swift
Mr. Jelly Belly Jelly Belly jelly beans 1996–present
Jollibee Jollibee 1980–present
Fruit Gang Jolly Rancher 2015–present
Figment Journey into Imagination with Figment 1983-present A small purple dragon who is the mascot of the Imagination! pavilion at the Epcot theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Kedso the Clown Keds shoes
Kolonel Keds
Kaptain Keds and Kedzam
Ernie Keebler and the Keebler elves Keebler snacks 1968–present Ernie voiced by Parley Baer for many years
Cinnamon & Apple Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal mid-2000s–present
Toucan Sam Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal 1952–present voiced by Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Maurice LaMarche
Puey, Susey, Louis 1994–present Toucan Sam's nephews
Tony the Tiger Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal 1951–present voiced by Dallas McKennon, Thurl Ravenscroft, Lee Marshall and now Tex Brashear
Cliffy the Clown Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal 1953–1956
Smaxey the Seal 1957–1961
Quick Draw McGraw 1961–1965
The Smackin' Bandit 1965 half-mule half-kangaroo who kissed everyone in sight
The Smackin' Brothers 1966–early 1970s two boys dressed in boxing shorts and boxing gloves
Indian Chief early 1970s
Dig 'Em Frog 1972–1986, 1987–present originally voiced by Howard Morris and later by Tex Brashear
Love Smack's 1982 a heart-shaped dog who hugged children
Wally the Bear 1986–1987
Milton the Toaster Kellogg's Pop-Tarts 1970s–1980s voiced by William Schallert
Sunny the sun Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal 1966–present originally voiced by Daws Butler and later by Tex Brashear
Snap, Crackle and Pop Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal 1928–present
Sugar Pops Pete Kellogg's Sugar Pops cereal 1950s
Keith Stone Keystone Light beer 2009–present
Colonel Sanders KFC restaurants 1952–present Colonel Harland Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually became its mascot; a later cartoon version was voiced by Randy Quaid.
Foghorn Leghorn 1986–1988 One of the Looney Tunes in form of the commercials along with Henery Hawk, Egghead Jr., and Miss Prissy.
Jason Alexander 2001–2003
Hip-Hop Hamsters Kia Soul 2010–present lip-synchs to Black Sheep's 1992 single "The Choice Is Yours". The Hamsters later updated their style to coincide with the Soul's added features.
The HotBot Kia Forte 2013–present played by Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella
Morpheus Kia Optima 2014–present actor Laurence Fishburne reprising his character from The Matrix
K.C. Penguin Kid Cuisine meals
Manners the butler Kleenex table napkins 1957–1950s played by Richard Cutting
Willie the Kool penguin Kool cigarettes debuted 1930s
Kool-Aid Man Kool-Aid drink mixes 1975–present
Cheesasaurus Rex Kraft Macaroni & Cheese 1991–2010
Dairy Fairy Kraft Singles cheese debuted 1980s
Buddy Lee doll Lee Jeans 1998–present based on the doll who debuted in 1921
Limu Emu & Doug Liberty Mutual Insurance 2019–present cop-like insurance agents (a human male and an emu sidekick); parody on 1970s TV crime drama shows
Little Mikey Life cereal 1972–1981 played by John Gilchrist
Little Caesar Little Caesars pizza
Lucky the Leprechaun Lucky Charms cereal 1964–present originally voiced by Arthur Anderson and presently voiced by Tex Brashear
Red and Yellow M&M's candy 1960s–present originally voiced by Don Messick and Stan Freberg, now widely popular as CG spokescandies, voiced originally by Jon Lovitz and John Goodman, and now Billy West and J. K. Simmons, respectively
Blue and Miss Green 1996–present (Blue), 1997–present (Miss Green) Blue originally voiced by Phil Hartman now Rob Pruitt; Miss Green voiced by Cree Summer 
Orange 1998–present voiced by Eric Kricberger
Miss Brown 2010–present voiced by Vanessa Williams
Purple 2022–present voiced by Grace Kelly
Alfred E. Neuman Mad magazine 1954–present
Rocketman Malektronic 2014–present
Cool Blue and Li'l Oaty Malt-O-Meal cereal 1998–present
Marlboro Man Marlboro cigarettes debuted 1954 Wayne McLaren died in 1992 of lung cancer
David McLean, died in 1995 of lung cancer
D--- Hammer, died in 1998 of lung cancer
Eric Lawson died in 2014 of COPD
Robert "Bob" Norris, died 2019 (natural causes, was actually a non-smoker; did 12 years until decided to end the role because he didn’t want his children to smoke)
Matty Mattel and Sisterbelle Mattel toys 1959–1962
Marky Maypo Maypo Oatmeal 1956–present created by Storyboard, Inc. (John Hubley)
Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman Maytag appliances debuted 1967 played by Jesse White (1967–1988), Gordon Jump (1988–2003), Hardy Rawls (2003–present)
Scoopy, Gabby and TeeVee, The McClatchy Bees The McClatchy Company 1943–present created by Walt Disney Productions; Scoopy is the mascot for the Sacramento Bee, Modesto Bee, and Fresno Bee newspapers; Gabby was the radio mascot for McClatchy's former radio stations and TeeVee was the television mascots of now CBS O&O KOVR-TV/Sacramento and Nexstar Media Group's NBC affiliate KMJ-TV (now KSEE-TV)/Fresno.
Speedee McDonald's restaurants 1948–1962 Original Mascot
Ronald McDonald 1959–present originally played in Washington, D.C. by Willard Scott
Hamburglar 1971–2003 A criminal type who stole hamburgers every chance he had. Originally voiced by Howard Morris, later by Charlie Adlder and Carl W. Wolfe
Grimace 1971–2003 A purple character who originally stole milkshakes, part of a larger population of Grimaces
Captain Crook 1970–1985
Mayor McCheese 1971–1985 The incompetent mayor of McDonaldland
The Professor 1971–1985 A scientist who served as McDonaldland's inventor and researcher
Officer Big Mac 1971–1985 The Chief of the Police of McDonaldland
Fry Kids 1972–1996 originally known as Gobblins, then they're known as Fry Guys, and finally Fry Kids as Fry Girls were added. Differently colored shaggy ball like creatures with long legs but no arms, looked like pom-pon's with eyes and legs
The Hamburger Patch 1973–1985 anthropomorphized hamburgers that grew on plants and were picked for consumption by Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar
Trash Cans 1970s twin garbage cans that were used to encourage people to throw garbage out in correct areas
Birdie the Early Bird 1980–2003 A yellow bird with pink jumpsuit and flight cap and scarf
The Happy Meal Gang 1984–late 2000s hamburger, french fries, regular sized drink, McNugget Buddies ( chicken nuggets added 1989) and Happy Meal Box (added 2004)
Uncle O'Grimacey 1977–1990s Grimace's green Irish Uncle who visited every St. Patrick's Day
CosMc 1980s–1999 An alien who sporadically appeared to trade items for McDonald's food
Bernice 1992–mid-1990s A strange creature who showed up in McDonaldland occasionally
Vulture 1980s–1990s An unnamed vulture who appeared in several multi-commercial segments
Sundae 1999–2000s Ronald McDonald's dog
Iam Hungary 1998–2001 A floating, fast green fuzzball with orange arms and monstrous face
Mike the Microphone 1980s A one time character who guarded door and ran studio in McDonaldland Magical Radio Station
Dr. Berlin Fries 2010s A human Frenchman with English accent, obsessed with french fries
Admiral Frownie 2010s A replacement character of Grimace, similar to Grimace except he is dark brown to resemble Dark Chocolate Brownie
Mac Tonight 1986–1997 played by Doug Jones
Little Debbie McKee Foods 1960s–present A character based on founder's four-year-old granddaughter.
Lani Moo Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii 1949–present name was selected in a contest sponsored by its predecessor Dairymen's Association 
Poglodyte 1971–present mascot for Meadow Gold Hawaii's POG drinks
Meow Mix Cat Meow Mix cat food 1972–present singing cat
Merrill the bull Merrill Lynch
Leo the Lion Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1924–present based on the Goldwyn Company mascot, 1917–24
Bibendum Michelin Tires 1894–present Also known as the Michelin Man
The Micro Machines Man Micro Machines performed by John Moschitta Jr.
The Miller Lite Beer Refs Miller Lite beer 2004–present  
The Mobil Pegasus Mobil 1911–present  
The Morton Girl Morton Salt 1914–present
Mr. Clean Mr. Clean cleaning products 1958–present first live-action Mr. Clean played by House Peters Jr.
Mrs. Butterworth Mrs. Butterworth's syrup a talking syrup bottle
Mimsie the Cat MTM Enterprises 1970–1998
McGruff the Crime Dog National Crime Prevention Council 1978–present  
Nabisco Thing Nabisco 1995
Juan Valdez National Federation of Coffee Growers (Colombia) 1959–present played by José F. Duval (1959–1969), Carlos Sánchez (1969–2006), Carlos Castañeda (2006–present)
Crash test dummies Vince and Larry National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1985–1999 voiced by Jack Burns and Lorenzo Music, respectively
NBC Peacock NBC 1956–1975, 1979–present first appeared in 1956, debuted as animated logo in 1957
Polar Bear Nelvana 1978–present
Farfel the Dog Nestlé Quik 1953–1965 played by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson
Quickie the NesQuik Bunny Nestlé Quik/NesQuik 1973–present voiced by Barry Gordon
Zuco Bear Nestlé Snow Flakes cereal
Dusty the Dusthole Nevada Air Quality Management Division 2003–present known for catchphrase "Don't Be a Dusthole!"; played by Alan Burd
Eustace Tilley The New Yorker 1925–present First drawn by Rea Irvin
Li'l Penny Nike athletic shoe debuted 1996 voiced by Chris Rock, based on basketball's Penny Hardaway
Morris the Cat 9Lives cat food 1968–present voiced by John Erwin
The Rubberband Man OfficeMax 2004–2005 played by Eddie Steeples
The Swedish Bikini Team Old Milwaukee beer 1991
Old Spice sailor Old Spice aftershave 1970s–1980s played by John Bennett Perry
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like Old Spice body wash 2010–present played by Isaiah Mustafa
Vanessa Orbit chewing gum 2002–present played by Vanessa Branch
The Pink Panther Owens Corning Fiberglass Insulation
Madge the Manicurist Palmolive dish detergent 1966–1992 played by Jan Miner
Pampers pampa Pampers diapers
Patsy Partnership for a Drug-Free America 2008 not-well-informed housewife/mother in the "Don't Be A Patsy" commercials. Played by Pam Cook
Hap-pea and Pea-Wee Pea Soup Andersen's debuted 1957 "non-identical twins" voiced by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Manny, Moe, and Jack Pep Boys auto parts stores caricatures based on founders Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice L. "Moe" Strauss, and W. Graham "Jack" Jackson
Pets.com Sock Puppet Pets.com originally performed by Michael Ian Black; now mascot for auto loan company Bar None
The Angels Philadelphia Cream Cheese 1999–present originated in Canada in 1994, although TV spots were produced in US; played in various ads by Linda Kash, Kelly Hu and Krista Sutton
Bert and Harry, the Piels brothers Piels beer 1955–1960 voiced by Ray Goulding (Bert) and Bob Elliott (Harry)
Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy Pillsbury 1965–present voiced first by Paul Frees, currently by JoBe Cerny
The Pine Sol Lady Pine-Sol cleaning detergent played by Diane Amos
Pizza Pete Pizza Hut 1958–1970 The initial mascot never been animated.
Pizza Head 1993–1997 The title character of The Pizza Head Show commercial skits.
Mr. Peanut Planters snacks 1916–present
Popsicle Pete Popsicle ice pops 1940s–1995
Honeycomb Kid Post Cereals' Honeycomb cereal 1960s (Cowboy) 1980s (Kid)  
The Crazy Craving debuted 1990s
Bernard, the Bee Boy 2010
Sugar Bear Post Cereals' Golden Crisp cereal 1949–present voiced by Sterling Holloway, Gerry Matthews
Julius Pringles Pringles 1967–present
Flo Progressive Insurance 2008–present actress Stephanie Courtney
Flobot 2012–present robot version of Flo, who is jealous of her "replacement"
Jamie 2008–present "The Number 1 'Number 2' assistant"
The Progressive Insurance Box 2013–present talkative bragging box
Mara 2019–present Flo’s friend and assistant, who feels like she’s unattractive and tends to drive guys away when she talks about insurance
Alan 2019–present Progressive's cool and mellow employee and assistant who is always trying to keep the crew levelheaded.
Motaur 2019–present half-man-half motorcycle
Dr. Rick 2020–present parody of Dr. Phil
Qantas koala Qantas Airlines debuted 1967 voiced by Howard Morris and then Tex Brashear
The Quaker Oats man Quaker Oats 1877–present
Quake Quaker Quake cereal 1965–1970s created by Jay Ward Productions, voiced by William Conrad
Quisp Quaker Quisp cereal 1965–1970s voiced by Daws Butler
Spongmonkey Quiznos restaurants 2003–2004 characters originated on an internet blog
Baby Bob 2005–present Baby Bob character originated on an internet blog, and had a short-lived CBS show; currently voiced by Ken Hudson Campbell
The Raid bugs Raid insecticides 1956–present since 1990 voiced by Tex Brashear
Nipper, the curious dog RCA 1900–present
Chipper debuted 1991 puppy version of Nipper
Happy Cows Real California Cheese debuted 1990s
Harmon R. Whittle Red White & Blue Beer 1980s
Robert Hall crows Robert Hall clothing stores 1950s
Perrôt Rossy stores 2011–present  
Schlitz Malt Liquor bull Schlitz Malt Liquor
Aunt Bluebelle ScotTowels 1970s voiced by Mae Questel
The Scrubbing Bubbles Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner originally voiced by Paul Winchell
Serta Counting Sheep Serta mattresses 2001–present animated by Aardman Animations
Freshup Freddie 7UP soft drink 1950s created by Walt Disney Productions
The UnDeer early 1970s Christmas mascot voiced by Paul Frees; 7UP issued a promotional hand puppet of the character;
Cool Spot 1987–1995
Fido Dido 1987-present
The Rock-afire Explosion Showbiz Pizza 1980–1993
Dino the Dinosaur Sinclair Oil Corporation 1930–1969, 1976–present In 1932 Apatosaurus became the company trademark after a 1930 ad campaign associated dinosaurs with Mesozoic Era origins of Sinclair's Pennsylvania petroleum. 
Mr. Six Six Flags theme parks 2004–2005, 2009–present dances to Vengaboys' "We Like to Party!"
The Snapple Lady Snapple 1990–1994, 1996–2008 played by Wendy Kaufman, who also worked for Snapple
Snuggle Bear Snuggle fabric softener designed by Kermit Love, voiced by Corinne Orr
Two Guys Sonic Drive-In restaurants 2002–2020 played by T. J. Jagodowski and Peter Grosz
Randy the Transistor Radio Sony 1963 used for a promotional booklet
Miles Thirst Sprite soft drink 2004–present  
Charlie the Tuna StarKist Tuna debuted 1961 voiced by Herschel Bernardi and now by Tex Brashear
The Subway Shadow Subway restaurants 2000 hand shadow voiced by Gilbert Gottfried
Jared 2000–2015 Real name Jared Fogle, based on his real-life testimonial of losing weight by eating Subway sandwiches; was dropped from the company after he was convicted of child pornography, underage trafficking and having sex with a minor.
The Sun-Maid Raisin Girl Sun-Maid raisins
The Taco Bell chihuahua Taco Bell restaurants 1997–2000 voiced by Carlos Alazraqui and Tex Brashear; portrayed by a chihuahua named Gidget
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey Taco John's restaurants 2004–present Capuchin monkey wearing a sombrero and poncho
Tampax Mother Nature Tampax Tampons 2008–present dresses conservatively and arrives to give women who might be reaching their period a "gift" (a red box), only to be turned down by her intended targets. Played by Catherine Lloyd Burns
Spot the dog Target Stores   Adorable bull terrier dog
Taster's Choice couple Taster's Choice instant coffee debuted 1990 played by Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan
TD TD Bank 2000s Replaced the Commerce Bank's "Mr. C" after the merger
Teddy Grahams Teddy Grahams crackers 1992–2005

2017–present

The smart Morgan, the young Amy, and the more feminine Lulu. Originally on Bananas in Pyjamas.
Toilet Duck Toilet Duck toilet cleaner mid-1990s animatronic, helmet wearing duck head sticking out of a small tank. Typically strolls into the bathroom saying "Quack, quaaack!"
Mr. Owl Tootsie Roll Pops 1970–present voiced by Paul Winchell
Mr. Turtle
Captain Tootsie Tootsie Rolls
Jan Toyota 2010–present played by Laurel Coppock
The Muppets Toyota Highlander 2014–present sings "No Time For Boring"
Geoffrey the giraffe Toys "R" Us stores 1960s–2018 animatronic Geoffrey voiced by Jim Hanks
The roaming garden gnome Travelocity debuted 2003
Pegasus TriStar Pictures 1984–present  
Trix rabbit Trix cereal 1959–present originally voiced by Mort Marshall; lately has been done by Russell Horton
Trojan Man Trojan condoms
Twinkie the Kid Twinkies snacks
The Ty-D-Bol Man Ty-D-Bol toilet cleaners played by Mark Matheisen, Fred Miltonberg, Bob Kaliban, Larry Sprinkle
Uncle Ben Uncle Ben's rice 1946–2020 purportedly named after a Texas rice grower
Smokey Bear United States Forest Service 1944–present the original was found clinging to a charred tree limb as a cub following a forest fire; voiced by Sam Elliot and Tex Brashear
Woodsy Owl 1970–present voiced by Frank Welker
Mr. ZIP United States Post Office Department/United States Postal Service 1960s–1970s  
The Verizon Wireless Test Man Verizon 2004–2011 played by Paul Marcarelli; famous for the quote "Can you hear me now?  Good." In 2016 Marcarelli became the new spokesman for rival Sprint and "dissed" Verizon in new ads, saying "Can You Hear THAT!"
Erik The Viking Viking Carpets Made by International Fiberglass
The Vlasic stork Vlasic Pickles debuted 1970s
Miss Helga Volkswagen GTI debuted 2006
Mickey Mouse The Walt Disney Company 1928–present Originally voiced by creator Walt Disney, later Jimmy MacDonald, Clarence Nash, Wayne Allwine, Bret Iwan, Tex Brashear
Jiminy Cricket 1940–present Originally voiced by Cliff Edwards, later Clarence Nash, Eddie Carroll, Phil Snyder, Joe Ochman
Tinker Bell 1953–present  
Michigan J. Frog The WB 1995–2005
Bugs Bunny Warner Bros. Entertainment 1940–present Originally voiced by Mel Blanc, later Jeff Bergman, Greg Burson, Billy West, Joe Alaskey, Samuel Vincent, Eric Bauza
Lil' Roy Walmart 2024-present A fictional dog who is advertised in Walmart's toy catalog as the toy-loving grandpup of Ol' Roy, the real-life furry companion of founder Sam Walton.
Wendy Wendy's 1969–present named after Wendy Thomas
Where's the beef? Lady 1984 Portrayed by actress Clara Peller
Yummy Mummy Fruity Yummy Mummy cereal 1988–1992

Other notable characters and their brands

See also

References

  1. Schneider, Jason (6 June 2015). "14 Thihostessngs You Didn't Know About A&W Restaurants". Thrillist Media Group Inc. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  2. Sacks, Ethan (26 April 2011). "Aflac duck's new voice: Radio exec Dan McKeague replaces Gilbert Gottfried, fired for Japan jokes". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 9 November 2011.
  3. "Most Popular E-mail Newsletter". USA Today. 18 August 2011.
  4. "8 Things You Might Not Know About Cheerios". 5 February 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  5. Bathroom Reader's Institute (2020). Uncle John's Greatest Know on Earth No. 33. Portable Press. p. 92. ISBN 9781645174141.
  6. "Domino's Will Try to Sell Somethin' for Nothin'". Chicago Tribune. 26 December 1992. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. "Dr. Cravin Trademark". Furm. 5 May 2000.
  8. "Bad Andy debuts for Domino's Pizza". Muppet Central. 11 May 2000.
  9. "Meet The Brand Mascots America Hates Most". Business Insider. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  10. Elliott, Stuart (25 February 2014). "For Hotels.com's Campaign, the Answer Was Obvious". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  11. "Nabisco bakes up 'Thing' to call kids to cookies". Chicago Tribune. 2 February 1995. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  12. "1930s (History | Sinclair Oil)". www.sinclairoil.com. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  13. Blumenthal, Jeff (16 June 2010). "TD mascot sporty, fun and 'strains intellectual scrutiny'". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  14. Pagnotti, Sean (19 April 2022). "The Complete History of Earl the Squirrel at Universal Studios". Orlando Information. Retrieved 19 July 2022.

Further reading

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