The Strange Stories Behind America’s Most-Recognized Brand Mascots
These days, we are constantly flooded with advertising and commercials everywhere we turn, but there are still some brands we will always clock from a mile away. Why? Because of their iconic mascots, of course! Indeed, few marketing tools are as effective as a memorable mascot: they lodge themselves in your brain over time, which means anytime you think of them, you’re thinking about the product as well. The creation stories of many of America’s most recognized mascots are generally super-interesting, but some are downright strange!
Mickey Mouse (Disney)
The creation of Disney’s iconic mascot goes back to a grimy office in Kansas City, which is where Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Gram Studio was based in 1928. The dingy place was often visited by mice, and — according to company legend — Walt was particularly fond of one.
An artist named Hugh Harman then drew some mice on a photograph of his boss, and this gave Walt the idea for a mouse being the new company mascot. Initially, he was dubbed Mortimer Mouse, but Walt’s wife told him the name sounded pompous, so he became Mickey!
Ronald McDonald (McDonald’s)
In terms of corporate mascots, few come more famous than Ronald McDonald — but what does a clown have to do with hamburgers? Well, nothing! You see, it all goes back to 1959 and Washington, DC weatherman Williard Scott.
Scott also played Bozo the Clown on TV at the time and, when that show wrapped up, he wound up working for two local McDonald’s franchisees. They felt the popularity of Bozo shouldn’t be allowed to go to waste. So, they hired an ad agency to create Ronald, and Scott played the burger clown in three TV commercials!
Tony the Tiger (Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes)
The creation of Tony the Tiger is a bit murky. In 1952 there were four potential animals in the frame to grace the packaging of “Sugar Frosted Flakes,” and Tony proved most popular. According to some sources, Eugene Kolkey was responsible for Tony’s initial design, but then Kellogg’s chose Martin Provensen to create the final look.
The names of Don Tennant and Jack Tolzein have also been credited over the years, though. Whatever the case, over time Tony has gone from a football-headed tiger who walked on all fours to the 6-foot-tall, humanized incarnation we know today.
Toucan Sam (Froot Loops)
Toucan Sam — the cute and colorful mascot with a nose perfectly calibrated to sniffing out Froot Loops — was created in 1969 and was originally voiced by Mel Blanc in commercials. At that point, the little bird spoke in Pig Latin — “Oot-fray Oops-lay” — but he soon adopted the classy British accent we all know and love today.
Advertising genius Peter Lohmeier told Pop Icon, “Toucan Sam was structured after the actor Ronald Colman. Colman was dashing, debonair. Toucan Sam needed to sound a bit exotic, because he had such a different edge than most characters.”