List of American advertising characters

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

Product	Character	Years used	Notes
A&W Restaurant	The Burger Family: Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger & Baby Burger	1963-1974
A&W Root Beer^[1]	The Great Root Bear	debuted 1974
Aflac insurance	The Aflac duck	2000–present	originally voiced by Gilbert Gottfried, fired in 2011 for making offensive comments about the 2011 earthquake in Japan; now voiced by Daniel McKeague.^[2]
Ajax cleanser	The Ajax pixies	1948–1950s	speaking voices are Joe Silver, Hans Conreid and June Foray
Ajax detergent	The White Knight	debuted 1963
Alka-Seltzer	Speedy Alka-Seltzer	1952–1964, 2010–present	voiced by Dick Beals
Allstate insurance	Mayhem	2010–present	actor Dean Winters
Ally Financial	Bank Executive (aka focus group marketer)	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.
Alpha-Bits cereal	Loveable Truly	1964–early 1970s	postman (voiced by Jim Nabors
Alpha-Bits cereal	Alpha-Bits Wizard	1970s–1980s	wizard
Alpha-Bits cereal	Alfie the Alpha-Bits Cereal Wonder Dog	1980s
Alpha-Bits cereal	Alpha	2000s–present	computer who makes Alpha-Bits
Alpha-Bits cereal	Alpha Pig; Princess Presto; Super Why; Wooster; Wonder Red	2012–present	CG-animated children stars of "Super Why" from PBS
Alpha-Bits cereal	Kids	1970s–1990s
Alpha-Bits cereal	Alphabet letters	1990s–early 2000s	animated Letters who are in cereal
AMC Theatres	Clip	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 Theatres	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 characters.
American Tourister luggage	luggage-mauling gorilla	1970–1980s
Ameritrade brokerage firm	Stuart	1999	known for quotes like "Let's light this candle!" played by Michael C. Maronna
Anderson's Soup	The Anderson's Soup "non-identical twins," Happy and Pee-Wee	debuted 1957	voiced by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Arby's restaurants	Oven Mitt	2003–2006	voiced by Tom Arnold
Ask.com	Jeeves	1996–2006
AT&T	Lily Adams, the AT&T Store manager	2013–present	informs customers about AT&T's sharing plans, played by Milana Vayntrub
Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup	Aunt Jemima	1893–present
Bacardi Rum	Bacardi & Cola	2003
Bardahl engine additive	Dirty Sludge, Sticky Valve, Gummy Ring, Blackie Carbon	1953
Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers	Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes	1985–1991	played by David Joseph Rufkahr (Bartles) and Dick Maugg (Jaymes)
Big Boy restaurants	Big Boy	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
Big Boy restaurants	Dolly	1956–present	Big Boy's girlfriend in Adventures of the Big Boy comic book series
BMW X5	The grandmother in the back seat	2015–present	irritates her entire family with exaggerated stories while the parents are driving
Bonny Maid floor cover products	the Bonny Maid	1949–1950	played by Anne Francis
Boo Berry cereal	Boo Berry	1972–present
Borden	Elsie the cow	1938–present
Boubin Auto shop	Boubin Bear	late 1980s–present	large bear wearing a hat, vest, and jeans. He holds his jeans up and tips his hat while saying "It's the bear facts, folks!" Voiced by Andy Aasgaard.
Bounty paper towels	Rosie the waitress	1970–1990	played by Nancy Walker
BP Connect Gas Stations	The "A Little Better Gas Station" Crew	2007–present	plays to the song LA by Message of the Blues
Bubble Yum bubble gum	Floyd D. Duck
Bud Ice beer	Bud Ice penguin	1996	known for ominously singing "Doo-be-doo-be-doo..."
Bud Light beer	Spuds MacKenzie	1987–1990
Bud Light beer	Johnny, the Bud Light guy	1995	known for catchphrase "I love you, ma-a-a-n!"; played by Rob Roy Fitzgerald
Budweiser beer	Budweiser Frogs	1990s	One frog says "Bud," another says "weis," and a third says "er." This is often repeated throughout the company's ads, in that order.
Budweiser beer	Frank and Louie, lizards	1998	main adversaries to the Budweiser frogs.
Budweiser beer	Budweiser Clydesdales	1930s–present	usually pulling a hitch of Budweiser with a Dalmatian riding in it. Also appear playing football against each other.
Burger Chef restaurants	Burger Chef and Jeff	1954–1996	voiced by Paul Winchell
Burger King restaurants	The Burger King	1974–1990, 2004–2011, 2016–present^[3]
Burger King restaurants	Sir Shake-A-Lot	1976–1980	knight who craved milk shakes
Burger King restaurants	The Burger Thing	1976–1980	large hamburger puppet
Burger King restaurants	The Duke of Doubt	1976–1980	arch-nemesis of the Burger King
Burger King restaurants	The Wizard of Fries	1976–1980	robot powered by french fries
Burger King restaurants	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)
Burger King restaurants	Herb	1985	played by John Merrick
Burger King restaurants	Fighting chickens Spicy and TC	2004
Bush's baked beans	Duke the Dog	1993–present	Jay Bush's canine companion who always tries to sell his owner's secret recipe; voiced by Robert Cait
Butterfinger	Bart Simpson	1988–2013
Buster Brown shoes	Buster Brown and his dog Tige	1904–present	live-action spots by Jerry Marin
California Raisin Advisory Board	the California Raisins	debuted 1987	singin' dancin' California raisins
Carfax	Car Fox	debuted 2008	helps people buy used cars
Camel cigarettes	Joe Camel	1987–1997
Campbell's Soup	The Campbell's Soup kids	debuted 1904
Capital One	Mr. No	2000s	played by David Spade
Cap'n Crunch cereal	Cap'n Crunch	1963–present	created by Jay Ward Productions; originally voiced by Daws Butler
Carling Black Label beer	Mabel the waitress	1950s	played by Jean Goodspeed (1951 through mid-1950s)
Carl's Jr. restaurants	The Carl's Jr. Star	1960s–present	has become Western U.S. counterpart of Hardee's
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Maria	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.
Charmin bathroom tissue	Mr. Whipple	1965–1989	played by Dick Wilson
Cheerios	Cherri O'Leary ^[4]	1940s
Cheerios	The Cheerios Kid and Sue	1950s, 1980s, 2012
Chef Boyardee canned pastas	Chef Boyardee		based on company founder Hector Boiardi
Cheetos snacks	Chester Cheetah	1986–present	voiced by Pete Stacker
Chevrolet Camaro	Bumblebee	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
Chevrolet Tahoe	The Babysitter	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.
Chevron (Standard Oil of California)	Hy Finn	debuted 1958	voiced by Paul Ford
Chevron	the Chevron Cars	1995–present
Chick-fil-A	The Chick-fil-A cows	1995–present	known for the catchphrase "Eat Mor Chikin" (sic)
Chicken of the Sea tuna	Chicken of the Sea mermaid	1952–present	voiced by Darla Hood in TV commercials
Chiffon Margarine	Mother Nature	1970s–1980s	best known for catchphrase "It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature!" Played by Dena Dietrich; Voice-over by Mason Adams
Chiquita bananas	Miss Chiquita Banana	1944–present
Chuck E. Cheese restaurants	Chuck E. Cheese	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 Chuck E Cheese Animatronic and music video shows (in studio C), that are shown inside the restaurants until late 2012.
Cinemark movie theaters	Front Row Joe	1988–1999, 2004–2011	animated cat; sidekicks over the years have included Starstruck Penny (originally Popcorn Penny) and Clyde
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal	Wendell, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch chef
Cisco Systems	The 'citizens' of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia	2010–present	fictionalized version of the real town as visited by Canadian actress Ellen Page, a native Nova Scotian
Cocoa Puffs cereal	Sonny the Cuckoo Bird	1960s–present	originally voiced by Chuck McCann
Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles cereal	The Flintstones characters	1970–present
Columbia Pictures	Columbia (based on a representation of Columbia, a personification of the United States)	1924–present
Comet cleanser	Josephine the plumber	1960s–1970s	played by Jane Withers
Comcast	The Slowskys	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.
Condomman.com	Condom Man	2003–present
Consumer Cellular	Jack and Connie	2011–present	retired couple who travel across the country in a RV
Cookie Crisp cereal	Cookie Jarvis	1977–1985
Cookie Crisp cereal	Cookie Crook	1981–1997
Cookie Crisp cereal	Cookie Cop	1985–1997
Cookie Crisp cereal	Chip the Dog	1991–2005
Cookie Crisp cereal	Chip the Wolf	2005–present
Cool Whip dessert topping	Sarah Tucker	1960s	played by Marge Redmond
Coors Light beer	Coors Light Twins		played by Diane and Elaine Klimaszewski
Coppertone sun-care products	The Coppertone Girl	1944–present
Corn Flakes cereal	Cornelius the rooster		originally voiced by Dallas McKennon, voiced in 1960s by Andy Devine
Count Chocula cereal	Count Alfred Chocula	1971–present
Cracked	Sylvester P. Smythe
Cracker Jack	Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo	1918–present
Crazy Eddie	Dr Jerry	1972-1989	Performed by DJ Jerry Carroll
Cream of Wheat hot cereal	Rastus the Cook	1890–present	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.
Crest toothpaste	Arthur Goodwin, pharmacist	1970s	played by Arthur O'Connell
Crows	Crows Candy Mascot	1910s–present	Crow who has a fetish for top hats and canes
Dell computers	Steven Jackson	2000–2003	known for quotes like "Dude, you got a Dell"; played by Benjamin Curtis
Diet Coke	Diet Coke hunk	1990s	played by Lucky Vanous
DirecTV	"Alternative" Rob Lowe	2014–present	Rob Lowe in dual roles
DirecTV	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)
DirecTV	"Alternative" NFL players	2015–present	part of NFL Sunday Ticket campaign, with NFL players in dual roles similar to Lowe's
DirecTV	The Settlers	2016–present	pioneering family who refuses to switch from cable
Discover Card	Peggy	2009–present	actually, "Peggy" is a bearded guy 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 trying to get information on their credit cards. Played by Romanian-American actor Tudor Petrut.
Dish Network	The Hopper family	2012–present	Boston-area family pronounces it "Hoppa."
Ditech	Ned the Banker	2002–2006	played by Ron Michaelson; shouts the catch phrase "Lost another loan to Ditech!" Now the mascot for CashCall Mortgage
Domino's Pizza	The Noid	1980s–1990s	voiced by Pons Maar
Doublemint chewing gum	Doublemint Twins
Dos Equis	The Most Interesting Man in the World	2006–present	Played by Jonathan Goldsmith from 2006–2016; replaced by Augustin Legrand in 2016
Dreyfus investments	Major, the Dreyfus lion	debuted 1960s
Dunkin' Donuts	Fred the baker	1981–1997	known for quote "Time to make the donuts"; played by Michael Vale
Duracell batteries	The Puttermans	1990s
Dutch Boy Paint	The Dutch boy	1907–present
Electricity generation	Reddy Kilowatt	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's Products	Elmer the Bull	1940s-present	originally the mate for Elsie the Cow of Borden's dairy products.
Energizer batteries	Jacko	late-1980s	known for catchphrase "Oi!"; played by Australian footballer Mark 'Jacko' Jackson
Energizer batteries	Energizer Bunny	1989–present
Esso/Exxon	The Esso tiger/the Exxon tiger	debuted 1964	See ExxonMobil website
Esurance	Erin Esurance	2004–2011	animated spy
Eveready batteries	Eveready "9 lives" cat	debuted c. 1920s–1930s
Fanta (US only)	Fantanas	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.
Federal Express	Mr. Spleen, fast-talking executive	1982	played by John Moschitta, Jr.
Florida Citrus Commission	Florida Orange Bird	1970s	created by Walt Disney Productions
Flying "A" service stations	Axelrod the dog	1960s
Ford auto	The Ford dog	debuted 1952
Franken Berry cereal	Franken Berry	1971–present
Frank's Red Hot Sauce	Ethel the cook	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.
FreeCreditReport.com	The FCR Band Victorious Secrets	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.
French Toast Crunch cereal	Wendell the baker	1995–late 1990s
Frito-Lay snacks	Frito Bandito	1960s	voiced by Mel Blanc
Frito-Lay snacks	The Frito Spokesbag	2012–present
Fruit Stripe chewing gum	Yipes, the Fruit Stripe Zebra	1962–present
Gadgets	Sammy Sands	1983-1991	Sammy Sands was an animatronic piano player at Gadgets, a high-scale FEC
GEICO	the Geico gecko	1999–present	voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Dave Kelly, Richard Steven Horvitz, Jake Wood, and others
GEICO	the GEICO Cavemen	2004–present	played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ben Weber, John Lehr, and Ben Wilson
GEICO	Maxwell, The GEICO pig	2010–present
General Mills	Betty Crocker	1921–present
Gerber baby products	The Gerber baby	1927–present	sketched by Dorothy Hope Smith, depicts four-month-old neighbor Ann Turner
Gillette Blue Blade razors	Sharpie the parrot	1952–1960
Gold Dust Washing Powder	The Gold Dust Twins	1880s–1940s
Golden Corral	The Quisenberrys	2015
Good & Plenty candy	Choo-Choo Charlie	1950–1960s
Gorton's of Gloucester Fish products	Gorton's Fisherman	1964–present
Granny Goose snacks	Granny Goose
Green Giant vegetables	Jolly Green Giant	1928–present	originally voiced by Herschel Bernardi; has been done recently by Len Carlson
Green Giant vegetables	Little Green Sprout
Greyhound Lines	The running Greyhound	1937–present	also used a live greyhound in TV promotions.
Hamburger Helper	The Helping Hand	debuted 1977	voiced by Patrick Coyle
Hamm's Beer	Hamm's Beer bear	debuted 1952
Harbor Gasoline	Harbie The Seal
Hardee's restaurants	The Hardee's Star	debuted 1997
The Hartford insurance	the Hartford Elk	debuted 1974
Hawaiian Punch	Punchy (the Hawaiian Punch Guy), and Oaf/Opie	debuted 1961
Holiday Inn	John Holiday	1950s-1980s	Mascot was Paul Revere-like character
Honda	Mr. Opportunity	2004–2011^[5]
Honda	Strawberry Shortcake	2014	CGI doll version of the character
Honey Nut Cheerios cereal	Buzz the bee		originally voiced by Arnold Stang
Hostess Brands	King Ding Dong / King Don		associated with chocolate snack cakes sold as Ding Dongs or King Dons
Hotpoint home appliances	Happy Hotpoint	debuted 1955	played by Mary Tyler Moore
Howard Johnson's Restaurants	Simple Simon & The Pieman	1930s-1970s	Created by John Alcott
Howard Johnson's Motor Lodges	Simple Simon & The Lamplighter	1950s-1970s
Hubba Bubba bubble gum	The Hubba-Bubba Gum Fighter	debuted 1979
ICEE frozen drinks	ICEE Polar Bear
Ipana toothpaste	Bucky Beaver	1957–1959	voiced by Jimmie Dodd
Isuzu auto	Joe Isuzu	1986–1990	played by David Leisure
Italian Swiss Colony wine	Little old winemaker	1960s	played by Ludwig Stössel, voiced by Jim Backus
Jack in the Box restaurants	Jack, the ping-pong-ball-headed man	1994–present
Jax Beer	Elephant and Bartender	late-1950s and early-1960s	voiced by Mike Nichols and Elaine May
Jell-O gelatin	Chinese baby	debuted 1959	voiced by Allen Swift
Jelly Belly jelly beans	Mr. Jelly Belly	1996–present
Jollibee	Jollibee	1980–present
Jolly Rancher	Fruit Gang	2015–present
Keds shoes	Kedso the Clown
Keds shoes	Kolonel Keds
Keds shoes	Kaptain Keds and Kedzam
Keebler snacks	Ernie Keebler and the Keebler elves	1968–present	Ernie voiced by Parley Baer for many years
Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal	Cinnamon & Apple	mid-2000s–present
Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal	Toucan Sam	1952–present	voiced by Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Maurice LaMarche
Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal	Puey, Susey, Louis	1994–present	Toucan Sam's nephews
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal	Tony the Tiger	1951	voiced by Dal McKennon, Thurl Ravenscroft, Lee Marshall and now Tex Brashear
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Cliffy the Clown	1953–1956
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Smaxey the Seal	1957–1961
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Quick Draw McGraw	1961–1965
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	The Smackin' Bandit	1965	half-mule half-kangaroo who kissed everyone in sight
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	The Smackin' Brothers	1966–early-1970s	two boys dressed in boxing shorts and boxing gloves
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Indian Chief	early-1970s
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Dig 'Em Frog	1972–1986, 1987–present	originally voiced by Howard Morris
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Love Smack's	1982	heart shaped dog who hugged children
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	Wally the Bear	1986–1987
Kellogg's Pop-Tarts	Milton the Toaster	1970s–1980s	voiced by William Schallert
Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal	Sunny the sun	1966–present	originally voiced by Daws Butler
Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal	Snap, Crackle and Pop	1928–present
Kellogg's Sugar Pops cereal	Sugar Pops Pete	1950s
Keystone Light beer	Keith Stone	2009–present
KFC restaurants	Colonel Sanders		Colonel Harland Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually became its mascot; a later cartoon version was voiced by Randy Quaid.
Kia Soul	Hip-Hop Hamsters	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.
Kia Forte	The HotBot	2013–present	played by Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella
Kia Optima	Morpheus	2014–present	actor Laurence Fishburne reprising his character from The Matrix
Kid Cuisine meals	K.C. Penguin
Kleenex table napkins	Manners the butler	1957–1950s	played by Richard Cutting
Kool cigarettes	Willie the Kool penguin	debuted 1930s	has a wife named Millie
Kool-Aid drink mixes	Kool-Aid Man	1975–present
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese	Cheesasaurus Rex
Kraft Singles cheese	Dairy Fairy	debuted 1980s
Lee Jeans	Buddy Lee doll	1998–present	based on the doll who debuted in 1921
Life cereal	Little Mikey, the freckled-face kid	1972–1981	played by John Gilchrist
Little Caesars pizza	Little Caesar
Lucky Charms cereal	Lucky the Leprechaun	1964–present	originally voiced by Arthur Anderson
M&M's candy	Red and Yellow M&M's characters	1960s–present	originally voiced by Don Messick and Stan Freberg now voiced by Billy West and J.K. Simmons, respectively
M&M's candy	Blue and Green M&M's characters	1996–present (Blue), 1997–present (Green)	Blue originally voiced by Phil Hartman now Rob Pruitt; Green voiced by Cree Summer
M&M's candy	Orange M&M's character	1998–present	voiced by Eric Kricberger
M&M's candy	Brown M&M's character	2010–present	voiced by Vanessa Williams
Mad magazine	Alfred E. Neuman	1954–present
Major Magic's All Star Pizza Revue	Major Magic	1985–1997
Malektronic	Rocketman	2014–present
Malt-O-Meal cereal	Cool Blue and Li'l Oaty	1998–present
Marlboro cigarettes	the Marlboro Man	debuted 1954	Wayne McLaren died 1992 Lung cancer David McLean, died 1995 Lung cancer Dick Hammer, died 1998 Lung cancer Eric Lawson died 2014 COPD
Mattel toys	Matty Mattel and Sisterbelle	1959–1962
Maypo	Marky Maypo	1956–present	created by Storyboard, Inc. (John Hubley)
Maytag home appliances	Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman	debuted 1967	played by Jesse White (1967–1988), Gordon Jump (1988–2003), Hardy Rawls (2003–present)
The McClatchy Company	Scoopy, Gabby and TeeVee, The McClatchy Bees	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.
McDonald's restaurants	Speedee	1948-1962	Original Mascot
McDonald's restaurants	Ronald McDonald	1959–present	originally played in Washington, D.C. by Willard Scott
McDonald's restaurants	Hamburglar	1971–2003	criminal type who stole hamburgers every chance he had. Originally voiced by Howard Morris, later by Charlie Adlder and Carl W. Wolfe
McDonald's restaurants	Grimace	1971–2003	purple character originally stole milkshakes, part of a larger population of Grimaces
McDonald's restaurants	Captain Crook	1970–1985
McDonald's restaurants	Mayor McCheese	1971–1985	incompetent mayor of McDonaldland
McDonald's restaurants	The Professor	1971–1985	scientist who served as McDonaldland's inventor and researcher
McDonald's restaurants	Officer Big Mac	1971–1985	Chief of Police of McDonaldland
McDonald's restaurants	Fry Kids	1972–1996	originally known as Gobblins then Fry Guys, 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
McDonald's restaurants	The Hamburger Patch	1973–1985	anthropomorphized hamburgers that grew on plants and were picked for consumption by Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar
McDonald's restaurants	Trash Cans	1970s	twin garbage cans that were used to encourage people to throw garbage out in correct areas
McDonald's restaurants	Birdie the Early Bird	1980–2003	yellow bird with pink jumpsuit and flight cap and scarf
McDonald's restaurants	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)
McDonald's restaurants	Uncle O'Grimacey	1977–1990s	Grimace's green Irish Uncle who visited every St. Patrick's Day
McDonald's restaurants	CosMc	1980s–1999	alien who sporadically appeared to trade items for McDonald's food
McDonald's restaurants	Bernice	1992–mid-1990s	strange creature who showed up in McDonaldland occasionally
McDonald's restaurants	Vulture	1980s–1990s	unnamed vulture who appeared in several multi-commercial segments
McDonald's restaurants	Sundae	1999–2000s	Ronald McDonald's dog
McDonald's restaurants	Iam Hungary	1998–2001	floating, fast green fuzzball with orange arms and monsterous face
McDonald's restaurants	Griddler	2003	character who stole McGriddles from the main characters
McDonald's restaurants	Mike the Microphone	1980s	one time character who guarded door and ran studio in McDonaldland Magical Radio Station
McDonald's restaurants	Dr. Berlin Fries	2010s	human Frenchman with English accent, obsessed with french fries
McDonald's restaurants	Admiral Frownie	2010s	replacement character of Grimace, similar to Grimace except he is dark brown to resemble Dark Chocolate Brownie
McDonald's restaurants	Mac Tonight	1986–1997	played by Doug Jones
McKee Foods	Little Debbie	1960s-present	brand of snack cakes; character based on founder's 4 year-old granddaughter.
Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii	Lani Moo	1949–present	name was selected in a contest sponsored by its predecessor Dairymen's Association
Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii	The Izard of Pog; Poglodyte	1971–present	mascots for Meadow Gold Hawaii's POG drinks
Meow Mix cat food	Meow Mix Cat	1972–present
Merrill Lynch	Merrill the bull
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	Leo the Lion	1924–present	based on the Goldwyn Company mascot, 1917–24
Michelin	Bibendum	1894–present	Also known as the Michelin Man
Micro Machines	The Micro Machines Man		Performed by John Moschitta Jr.
Miller Lite beer	The Miller Lite Beer Refs	2004–present
Mobil	The Mobil Pegasus	1911–present
Morton Salt	The Morton Salt Girl	1914–present
Mr. Clean cleaning products	Mr. Clean	1958–present	first live-action Mr. Clean played by House Peters, Jr.
Mrs. Butterworth's syrup	Mrs. Butterworth		talking syrup bottle
MTM Enterprises	Mimsie the Cat	1970–1998
National Crime Prevention Council	McGruff the Crime Dog	1978–present
National Federation of Coffee Growers (Colombia)	Juan Valdez	1959–present	played by José F. Duval (1959–1969), Carlos Sánchez (1969–2006), Carlos Castañeda (2006–present)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	Vince and Larry, the crash test dummies	1985–1999	voiced by Jack Burns and Lorenzo Music, respectively
NBC	NBC Peacock	1956–1975, 1979–present	first appeared in 1956, debuted as animated logo in 1957
Nestlé Quik	Farfel the Dog	1953–1965	played by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson
Nestlé Quik/NesQuik	The Quik Bunny/NesQuik Bunny	1973–present	voiced by Barry Gordon
Nevada Air Quality Management Division	Dusty the Dusthole	2003–present	known for catchphrase "Don't Be a Dusthole!"; played by Alan Burd
The New Yorker	Eustace Tilley	1925–present	First drawn by Rea Irvin
Nike athletic shoe	Li'l Penny	debuted 1996	voiced by Chris Rock, based on basketball's Penny Hardaway
9Lives cat food	Morris the Cat	1968–present	voiced by John Erwin
OfficeMax	the Rubberband Man	2004–2005	played by Eddie Steeples
Old Milwaukee beer	The Swedish Bikini Team	1991
Old Spice aftershave	the Old Spice sailor	1970s–1980s	played by John Bennett Perry
Old Spice body wash	The Man Your Man Could Smell Like	2010–present	played by Isaiah Mustafa
Orbit chewing gum	Vanessa	2002–present	played by Vanessa Branch
Owens Corning Fiberglass Insulation	The Pink Panther
Palmolive dish detergent	Madge the manicurist	1966–1992	played by Jan Miner
Pampers diapers	Pampers pampa
Partnership for a Drug-Free America	Patsy	2008	not-so-informed housewife/mother in the "Don't Be A Patsy" commercials. Played by Pam Cook
Pep Boys auto parts stores	Manny, Moe, and Jack		caricatures based on founders Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice L. "Moe" Strauss, and W. Graham "Jack" Jackson
Pets.com	Pets.com Sock Puppet		originally performed by Michael Ian Black; now mascot for auto loan company Bar None
Philadelphia Cream Cheese	The Angels	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
Piels beer	Bert and Harry, the Piels brothers	1955–1960	voiced by Bob Elliott (Harry) and Ray Goulding (Bert)
Pillsbury	Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy	1965–present	voiced first by Paul Frees, currently by JoBe Cerny
Pine-Sol cleaning detergent	The Pine Sol Lady		played by Diane Amos
Planters snacks	Mr. Peanut	1916–present
Popsicle ice pops	Popsicle Pete	1940s–1995
Post Cereals' Honeycomb cereal	The Crazy Craving	debuted 1990s
Post Cereals' Golden Crisp cereal	Sugar Bear	1949–present	voiced by Sterling Holloway, Gerry Matthews
Pringles	Julius Pringles	1967–present
Progressive auto insurance	Flo	2008–present	actress Stephanie Courtney
Progressive auto insurance	Flobot	2012–present	robot version of Flo, who is jealous of her "replacement"
Progressive auto insurance	The Progressive Insurance Box	2013–present	talkative box who brags about "his" fame from the commercials featuring Flo
Qantas Airlines	Qantas koala	debuted 1967	voiced by Howard Morris
Quaker Oats	The Quaker Oats man	1877–present
Quaker Quake cereal	Quake	1965–1970s	created by Jay Ward Productions, voiced by William Conrad
Quaker Quisp cereal	Quisp	1965–1970s	voiced by Daws Butler
Quizno's restaurants	Spongmonkey	2003–2004	characters originated on an internet blog
Quizno's restaurants	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
Raid insecticides	The Raid bugs	1956–present
RCA	Nipper, the curious dog	1900–present
RCA	Chipper	debuted 1991	puppy version of Nipper
Real California Cheese	Happy Cows	debuted 1990s	product website
Red White & Blue Beer	Harmon R. Whittle	1980s
Robert Hall clothing stores	Robert Hall birds	1950s
Rossy stores	Perrôt	2011–present
Savarin coffee	El Exigente	1960s–1970s	played by Carlos Montalbán
Schlitz Malt Liquor	Schlitz Malt Liquor bull
ScotTowels	Aunt Bluebelle	1970s	voiced by Mae Questel
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner	The Scrubbing Bubbles		originally voiced by Paul Winchell
Serta mattresses	Serta Counting Sheep		animated by Aardman Animations
7UP soft drink	Freshup Freddie	1950s	created by Walt Disney Productions
7UP soft drink	The UnDeer	early 1970s	Christmas mascot - 7UP issued a promotional hand puppet of the character; voiced by Paul Frees
7UP soft drink	Cool Spot	1987–1995
Showbiz Pizza	The Rock-afire Explosion	1980–1993
Sinclair Oil Corporation	Dino the Dinosaur	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.^[6]
Six Flags theme parks	Mr. Six	2004–2005, 2009–present	dances to Vengaboys' "We Like to Party"
Snapple	The Snapple Lady	1990–1994, 1996–2008	played by Wendy Kaufman, who also worked for Snapple
Snuggle fabric softener	Snuggle Bear		designed by Kermit Love, voiced by Corinne Orr
Sony	Randy the Transistor Radio	1963	used for a promotional booklet
Sprite soft drink	Miles Thirst	2004–present
StarKist Tuna	Charlie the Tuna	debuted 1961	voiced by Herschel Bernardi
Starbucks coffee	The Starbucks melusine
Subway restaurants	The Subway Shadow	2000	hand shadow voiced by Gilbert Gottfried
Subway restaurants	Peter Griffin	2005	Peter from FOX's Family Guy was used in an ad for Subway
Subway restaurants	Jared	2000-2015	Real name Jared Fogle
Sun-Maid raisins	The Sun-Maid Raisin Girl
Taco Bell restaurants	The Taco Bell chihuahua	1997–2000	voiced by Carlos Alazraqui; portrayed by a chihuahua named Gidget
Taco John's restaurants	Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey	2004–present	Capuchin monkey wearing a sombrero and poncho
Tampax Tampons	Tampax Mother Nature	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
Target Stores	Spot the dog
Taster's Choice instant coffee	Taster's Choice couple	debuted 1990	played by Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan
TD Bank	TD^[7]	2000s	Replaced the Commerce Bank's "Mr. C" after the merger
Toilet Duck toilet cleaner	Toilet Duck	mid-1990s	animatronic, helmet wearing duck head sticking out of a small tank. Typically strolls into the bathroom saying "Quack, quaaack!"
Tootsie Roll Pops	Mr. Owl	1970–present	voiced by Paul Winchell
Tootsie Roll Pops	Mr. Turtle
Tootsie Rolls	Captain Tootsie
Toyota	Jan	2010–present	played by Laurel Coppock
Toyota Highlander	Muppets	2014–present	sings "No Time For Boring"
Toys "R" Us stores	Geoffrey the giraffe	1960s–2018	Animatronic Geoffrey voiced by Jim Hanks
Travelocity	The roaming garden gnome	debuted 2003
TriStar Pictures	the TriStar Pegasus	1984–present
Trix cereal	Trix rabbit	1959–present	originally voiced by Mort Marshall; lately has been done by Russell Horton
Trojan condoms	Trojan Man
Twinkies snacks	Twinkie the Kid
Ty-D-Bol toilet cleaners	The Ty-D-Bol Man		played by Mark Matheisen, Fred Miltonberg, Larry Sprinkle
Uncle Ben's rice	Uncle Ben	1946–present	purportedly named after a Texas rice grower
United States Forest Service	Smokey Bear	1944–present	the original was found clinging to a charred tree limb as a cub following a forest fire
United States Forest Service	Woodsy Owl	1970–present	voiced by Frank Welker
United States Post Office Department/United States Postal Service	Mr. ZIP	1960s–1970s
Verizon	The Verizon Wireless Test Man	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!"
Viking Carpets	Erik The Viking		Made by International Fiberglass
Vlasic Pickles	The Vlasic stork	debuted 1970s
Volkswagen GTI	Miss Helga	debuted 2006
Wendy's	Folksy Version of Dave Thomas	1989-2002
Wendy's	Wendy	1969–present	named after Wendy Thomas
Wendy's	Where's The Beef Lady	1984	Portrayed by actress Clara Peller

Other notable characters and their brands

Ajax Pixies – Ajax Cleanser
Anderson Soup Twins – Anderson Soup
Aunt Jemima – Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix & Syrup
Betty Crocker – Betty Crocker Baking Products
Boo Berry – General Mills' Boo Berry Cereal
Brawny Lumberjack – Brawny Paper Towels
Brother Dominick – Xerox
Budweiser Horses – Budweiser Beer
Buster Brown & Tige The dog) – Buster Brown Shoes
Buzz Bee – General Mill’s Honey Nut Cheerios
California Raisins – California Raisins Advisory Board
Campbell’s Soup Kids – Campbell’s Soup
Cap’n Crunch – Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Cereal
Cheerio Kid – General Mill’s Cheerios
Chef Boyardee – Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta
Chicken of the Sea Mermaid – Chicken of the Sea Tuna
Chuck E. Cheese – Chuck E. Cheese Pizza (formerly Pizza Time Theater)
Colonel Sanders – Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurants
Cool Spot – 7-Up Soft Drinks
Coppertone Girl – Coppertone Sunscreen
Cornelius The Rooster – Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
Count Chocula – General Mills' Count Chocula Cereal
Culligan Lady – Culligan Water Softener
Dig ‘Em The Frog – Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks Cereal (renamed Honey Smacks)
Dutch Boy – Dutch Boy Paint
Elsie the Cow – Borden Dairy Company
Energizer Bunny – Eveready Energizer Batteries
Exxon Tiger – Exxon Gasoline
Faygo Kid – Faygo Pop/Soda
Foster Farm Chickens – Foster Farms Chicken
Frankey Berry – General Mills' Franken Berry Cereal
Fruit of The Loom Guys – Fruit of The Loom Underwear/Sleepwear
Geoffrey the Giraffe – Toys R Us
Gerber Baby – Gerber Baby Food
Goodyear Blimp – Goodyear Tire Company
Gorton Fisherman – Gorton Seafood Company
Granny Goose – Granny Goose Potato Chips
Great Root Bear – A & W Root Beer & Restaurants
Hamm’s Bear – Hamm's Beer
Helping Hand – Betty Crocker’s Hamburger Helper
Honeycomb Kid – Post
Hy Finn – Standard Oil of California
Indian Maiden – Land-O-Lake Butter/Dairy Products
Jack – Jack-In-The-Box Restaurants
Jeff – Burger Chef Restaurants
Jello-O Baby – Jell-O
Joe Camel – Camel Brand Cigarettes
John H. Goodwill – Goodwill
Jolly Green Giant – Green Giant Vegetables
Josephine The Plumber – Comet Cleanser
Juan Valdez – National Federation of Coffee Growers
Kedso The Clown – Keds Brand Sneakers
Keebler Elves (Ernie The Elf) – Keebler Foods (Crackers)
Kenner Gooney Bird – Kenner’s Toy Company
Klondike The Polar Bear – Klondike Ice Cream Bar
Kool Aid Man – Kool-Aid Drink Mix
Kool Penguin – Kool Cigarettes
Little Caesar – Little Caesar Pizza
Little Foster – Foster’s Freeze Restaurants
Little Mikey (the Freckly-faced Kid) – Life Cereal
Little Miss Sunbeam – Sunbeam Bread
Lucky The Leprechaun – General Mill’s Lucky Charms Cereal
Madge The Manicurist – Palmolive Dish Washing Detergent
Marky Maypo – Maypo Cereal
Marlboro Man – Marlboro Cigarettes
Marvelous Magical Burger King (the older cartoonish mascot – 2 versions) – Burger King Restaurants
Maytag Man – Maytag Appliances
Michelin Man (aka Bibendum) – Michelin Tires
Mickey Mouse – Walt Disney Company
Miss Chiquita – Chiquita Bananas
Morris The Cat – 9 Lives Cat Food
Mother Nature – Chiffon Margarine
Mr. Bluelight – K-Mart Stores
Mr. Bubble – Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath
Mr. Goodwin – Crest Toothpaste
Mr. George Whipple – Charmin Toilet Paper
Mr. Meow – Meow Mix Cat Food
Mr. Owl – Tootsie Rolls & Tootsie Pops
Mr. Peanut – Planters Peanuts
Mr. Potato head and Mrs. Potato head – Lays
Mrs. Butterworth – Mrs. Butterworth Pancake Syrup
Mrs. Olson – Folgers Coffee
Nipper The Dog (fox terrier) – RCA Victor Company
Orville Redenbacher – Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popcorn
Oscar Mayer Bologny Kid – Oscar Mayer Bologny
Polar Bear – Icee
Poppin’ Fresh The Pillsbury Doughboy – Pillsbury Rolls/Products
Popsicle Pete – Popsicle Frozen Pops
Punchy – Hawaiian Punch Drink Mix
Quaker Oats Man – Quaker Oats Cereal
Quiky The Bunny – Nestle’s Quik (later changed to Nesquik) Chocolate Mix
Quisp – Quisp Cereal
Reddy Kilowatt
Rosie The Waitress – Bounty Paper Towels
Sailor Jack & Bingo – Cracker Jacks
Sambo & Jolly Tiger – Sambo’s Restaurants
Scrubbing Bubbles – Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner
Sleepy Bear — Travelodge Motels
Slush Puppie – Slush Puppie
Snap, Crackle & Pop – Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal
Speedy – Alka Seltzer
Stay Puft Marshmallow Man – Stay Puft Marshmallow Company (actually a fictitious mascot from the movie Ghostbusters)
Sugar Bear – Post Super Sugar Crisp (renamed Golden Crisps)
Sun-Maid Raisins Girl – Sun-Maid Raisins
Sunny – Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cereal
Sonny The Cuckoo Bird – General Mill’s Cocoa Puffs Cereal
Sugar Pops Pete The Prairie Dog – Kellogg’s Sugar Pops Cereal (renamed Corn Pops)
Talking T-Shirt – Adidas
The Noid – Domino’s Pizza
Tony The Tiger – Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Cereal
Toucan Sam – Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal
Trix Rabbit – General Mill’s Trix Cereal
Tropic-Ana – Tropicana
The "Tu Tu Tu's" – TheCab (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Twinkie The Kid – Hostess Twinkies
Ty-D-Bol Man – Ty-D-Bol Toilet Cleaner
Umbrella Girl – Morton Salt
Uncle Ben – Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice
Vlasic Stork – Vlasic Pickles
W.C. Fritos – Frito Lay Corn Chips
White Knight – Ajax Laundry Detergent
Yipes The Zebra – Fruit Stripe Gum

References

↑ Schneider, Jason (June 6, 2015). "14 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT A&W; RESTAURANTS". Thrillist Media Group Inc. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
↑ 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.
↑ "Most Popular E-mail Newsletter". USA Today. 18 August 2011.
↑ "8 Things You Might Not Know About Cheerios". 5 February 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
↑ "Meet The Brand Mascots America Hates Most". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
↑ "1930s (History | Sinclair Oil)". www.sinclairoil.com. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
↑ Blumenthal, Jeff (16 June 2010). "TD mascot sporty, fun and 'strains intellectual scrutiny'". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2010.

List of American advertising characters

Other notable characters and their brands

See also

References

Further reading