Legendary Mascots: 40+ Icons Of Advertising That Transcend Generations

We are living in the age of innovation and commerce. Humans developed the ability to come up with new ideas, create products and trade their surplus long ago. However, the race for commercial victory has never been this intense.

A survey from 2023 claimed that there are an estimated 582 million entrepreneurs. In case you can’t tell, that’s a lot of people. Every sector has numerous contributors, and holding any monopoly is nearly impossible. Therefore, every business venture feels the intense need to differentiate itself from its competitors.

Mascots are a huge helper in distinguishing yourself in the market. They are basically logos with faces! They provide a fun twist to a product and attract customers. For this listicle, we’ve compiled 45 iconic mascots guaranteed to make you nostalgic! Enjoy!  

Wendy’s

Wendy’s may be well known for its iconic fresh square patties, but that is not the first thing you think of when the fast food franchise comes to mind. It’s the smiling, freckle-faced young lady with braided red hair that you picture, right? 

As it turns out, this young lady is an actual person. She is Melinda Lou, none other than the daughter of the founder of the fast food chain, Dave Thomas. We have no doubt that she was his favorite child!

Walt Disney

Many promising animation companies have emerged and collapsed in the last century. However, the Walt Disney Company has consistently stayed on top since the roaring ’20s. Even a century after its creation, the company still maintains its high position and has shaped the childhood of billions of children.   

We cannot help but praise Mickey Mouse for its success. The anthropomorphic mouse was personally designed by Walt Disney himself. This character caught the public’s eye with the short film Steamboat Willie (1928). Since then, the company never had to see a bad day, thanks to making Mickey their mascot. 

Coca-Cola

This tasty beverage can be responsible for ruining your diet and body. Yet, no matter how much it puts us at risk of diabetes and other lifestyle illnesses, we cannot get enough of a chilled bottle of Coca-Cola on a summer day.  

Kids these days may not know this, but polar bears used to be the beverage’s mascot. Ask your parents; they probably remember watching a humongous polar bear guzzling down a Coke! Though the company reduced its usage of the mascot, it still donates to protect arctic polar bears. 

Mr. Clean

Scrub Daddy may be the go-to cleaning product of the average American these days, but the OGs will forever remember the marvel that was Mr. Clean. This company dominated the detergent market in the US for quite a long time. 

Even those who didn’t use the product were well aware of it. The credit for this worldwide fame definitely goes to their mascot, a bald, elderly man in a white top. Whenever we see a bald man in the media (e.g. Walter White, Pitbull, Voldemort), we’re always reminded of Mr. Clean!

Vlasic Pickles

You either love Vlasic Pickles, or you hate them — there is no in-between. While the fermented flavor of their pickles is good, they lack texture. Their cucumbers lack crunch and give you an uncomfortable feeling of mushiness in your mouth. 

Vlad Pickles might also have one of the most bizarre mascots. It’s a white stork that smokes pickles like cigars. They chose the stork as their mascot because of the folklore about storks bringing women children. And since pregnant women are the biggest fans of pickles, they figured, “Why not?”

Cap’n Crunch   

Cereal and milk is the ultimate breakfast combo of the average American. It’s a quick way to start your day. Cap’n Crunch, in particular, has fed several generations. Just ask your dad or grandad. They probably loved having this back in the day. 

It’s impossible to discuss the brand without discussing its mascot, Cap’n Crunch. He is an 18th-century naval captain. According to the franchise, the captain was born on an island called ‘Crunch Island,’ and he carries his cereal cargo in a ship called ‘Guppy.’ 

Pillsbury

As much as we love pies and biscuits, we absolutely hate making pie crusts. It’s such a drag. You have to mix the cold butter with dry flour and then shape them into your baking vessels. We tried making our own pie dough once. 

Never shall we ever attempt that again. The Pillsbury company is a blessing to professional couch potatoes like us who like to eat but don’t like to cook. Their mascot, the Pillsbury Doughboy, is one of the most iconic figures in the food industry. If they approve of the brand, you should definitely trust it. 

Nintendo

The Nintendo company is basically a god in the gaming industry. They have created the most memorable games for decades. They started in the era of arcade games and are still relevant to the industry. That is no small feat.  

Even though they created many famous games during the golden age of arcade games, it’s Mario Kart that pushed them to worldwide fame. Though it started off as a spin-off from Donkey Kong, Mario Bros effortlessly surpassed their parent game. Thus, it was only sensible to use Mario as their Mascot.  

Energizer

Bunnies are known for their cuteness and energetic personality. Therefore, we think it was quite fitting for battery companies to use bunnies as their mascots since batteries also provide energy. However, the Energizer company adopting this pink bunny as their mascot has a more interesting back story. 

The Energizer Bunny was a direct parody of the Duracell Bunny, a huge competitor of the Energizer company. Though Duracell’s bunny was also pink and ran on batteries, the parody version by Energizer seems to be more popular than the original. 

Froot Loops

Personally, Froot Loops are our favorite brand of cereal. Admittedly, it is not the healthiest option due to the artificial colors, flavors, and sugar. However, it is definitely the tastiest. At 9 years old, we could not have asked for a better breakfast.  

If you are familiar with this cereal, you should also know its mascot — Sam Toucan. Toucans are well known for their brightly colored beaks, and Sam Toucan’s has all the colors from the froot loops. Thus, he makes an excellent mascot. 

Geico Auto Insurance

GEICO definitely has one of the most bizarre mascots the world has ever seen. Why would a tiny green gecko represent an insurance company? The only thing that reptiles have ever given us is scares, never any insurance or financial benefits. 

However, perhaps it’s their unorthodox choice of mascots that pushed the company toward success. The name GEICO has often been mispronounced as gecko by many. Therefore, the CEO thought Martin the Gecko would be a fitting mascot. He’s a gentleman who delivers cookies to your doorsteps. What’s not to love?

Geico 2.0

This one does not make any sense to us. We somehow get why Martin the Gecko was made into a mascot. However, what is this pig doing here? Is this GEICO’s way of indirectly saying that they’re nothing but a bunch of capitalist pigs? 

Since mascots are meant to attract attention, GEICO most certainly reached its goal with this one. Maxwell the pig was as memorable as he was confusing. In the ads for GEICO, Maxwell the pig answers and asks many persuasive rhetorical questions.

Aunt Jemima

This one is a sad case of racial inequality. The mascot of Aunt Jemima is a black lady with a motherly smile. Ignorant souls used to go to supermarkets and pick up products from Aunt Jemima because they thought it was a black-owned brand. 

Sadly, it was all a well-planned lie. Formerly, there used to be ‘mammies’ in some Southern states who were older black women who were assigned to raise white children. There is also a stereotype that the African-American community cooks better food. Therefore, this mascot deceived many buyers. 

Chiquita Brands International Inc

This one is quite a well-known name in every household. Who knew you could commit crimes while selling bananas, of all things? Apparently, you can. Just do a small Google search on this topic, and you will understand what we mean.  

The mascot of the brand is a jolly lady called Miss Chiquita. She sings rhymes about the benefits of eating bananas and wears a hat decorated with fruits, which she somehow manages to pull off. These days she is portrayed as a woman of Latin/Hispanic origins. 

Snuggle Fabric Softener

Let’s just say that this brand couldn’t have found a better fit for a mascot. Back in the ’80s, we convinced our parents to buy Snuggles fabric softener just because of the cuddly mascot. Unfortunately, some of our clothes were ruined because of it. 

That said, we do not regret it one bit. If this Snuggle Bear told us to rob a bank or jump into a pile of rattlesnakes, we would most likely comply without asking questions. From this, we learned that cuteness always sells!

Nesquik

Oh yes, good ol’ Nesquik. They came up with a claim that they could turn any kind of milk into chocolate milk. You can’t imagine what a message like that did to our six-year-old hearts. We sobbed vehemently until our frustrated mothers complied and bought us a box. 

Sadly, we also got salmonella that same week! But we’re not here to talk about our childhood trauma. It’s their bunny mascot that deserves some attention. Quicky, the brown bunny, apparently had the magical power to turn regular milk into chocolate milk in an instant. Quite the superpower!

M&M’s

M&M’s are better than Skittles. We do not make the rules; these are just the facts. Another fact is that we will dearly miss M&M’s spokescandies. Sadly, due to the modern woke culture, the iconic candies were replaced with another mascot. 

The spokescandies are represented as anthropomorphic beings with individual personalities and quirks. Their chemistry was interesting, and it helped attract the attention of youngsters who could relate to the candies. RIP, green M&M; you will always be our secret crush.

Michelin

It’s weird how a tire company’s opinion on restaurants is relevant in the 21st century. Yes, you read that right. Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants by the Michelin Tire Company. Even more hilarious is the fact that the company is more famous for its stars rather than its own product. 

This tire company has existed for nearly 150 years. Their official mascot looks like a humanoid made by stacking white tires on top of one another. It’s basically a skinnier version of “Baymax.” Bib or Bibelobis is actually one of the oldest trademarks in the world that’s still being used. 

Forest Fire Awareness & Prevention

This mascot was literally designed to save lives. Smokey Bear is probably the most important mascot mentioned in this listicle. The US Forest Service (USFS) and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) collaborated in the effort to come up with this adorable bear. 

He was based on bear cubs that were rescued from forest fires. Even to this day, he can still be spotted guarding various hiking spots and spreading awareness about forest fires. This is also the oldest running PSA in America. 

McDonald’s

Kids in the early ’60s must have been quite bored without the internet because how on earth were they entertained by the creepy Ronald McDonald? How this specimen evoked appetite among people decades ago is something we will never understand. 

Ronald McDonald was designed to make McDonald’s seem like a happy paradise for young customers. Kids loved celebrating their birthdays there, thanks to live performances by Ronald McDonald. However, times have changed. Clowns took over, and Ronald McDonald was fired after years of his service. 

KFC

If you thought Ronald McDonald was ridiculous, prepare to meet Colonel Sanders. Kentucky Fried Chicken may be famous for its eleven herbs and spices, but the founder of the chain is definitely the most well-known fact of the fast food franchise. 

Colonel Sanders got famous after gaining success in his elderly years. His smiling face still graces every banner and wrapper despite his selling the company off in his last years. KFC still utilizes his image to the maximum, seeing as there’s even a romance movie based on Colonel Sanders. We wish we were kidding. 

Kool-Aid

Kool-aid is the ultimate summer drink for every American. Nothing beats the summer heat like a glass of Kool-aid with some ice cubes floating on top. It may not be nutritious, but that does not change how refreshing this drink is.  

If you are still not sure about Kool-aid, the Kool-Aid Man will wash off any of your doubts. The fellow is a literal pitcher full of Kool-aid. He likes smashing walls and yelling, “Oh yeah!” at the top of his lungs. If that doesn’t convince you, we do not know what will.  

Planters

Planters is a household name. They started their long journey more than a hundred years ago and are still making waves. The company is a mass manufacturer of peanuts and produces all sorts of products, from peanut butter, salt roasted peanuts and chips. 

For a company that is hellbent on staying true to its peanut roots, it is only fitting that it uses a peanut as its mascot. Let the product speak for itself, quite literally. Planters’ mascot is a 107-year-old peanut man with a monocle. 

Kellog’s Frosted Flakes

We have already discussed many cereal brands and their mascots in this listicle. However, Tony the tiger from Kellog’s Frosted Flakes is definitely the most memorable. Business courses in famed universities have done case studies and analyzed the fascinating mascot’s success story. 

The friendly, smiling tiger on the box of the cereal was more than enough to attract the attention of any child. It also helped that the sugary flavors of frosted flakes were loved by many. Therefore, the brand has many loyal customers thanks to Tony here. 

Monopoly

Oh, Monopoly. Nothing will ever replace you in our hearts. Ever since it was invented, the game has been a household favorite for board game nights. But, as much fun as it was, it also brought out the worst in people. 

Your gentle grandma, who never raises her voice, will probably cuss at you for stealing her property during Monopoly. Rich Uncle Pennybags, the wealthy investor, is the mascot these guys picked. We must say, they could not have found a better face for this capitalist game.  

Cheetos

Cheetos is probably at the top of everyone’s list of favorite snacks. It’s hard not to love their product. They are light in texture but still pack a punch with their potent flavor. If you are brave, you can even munch on their flaming hot cheetos. 

While the product value for Cheetos is high thanks to their deliciousness, much of it can also be attributed to their iconic mascot — the Chester Cheetah. He was portrayed as cool, chic, and fun-loving, which was the perfect way to attract impressionable youngsters. 

Quaker Oats Company

Quaker Oats feel like home. Their products were the perfect first meal for working adults who wanted to eat something quick and cheap but not sugary. You could even put their oats in cookie dough and make delicious chewy oatmeal cookies. 

Therefore, the mascot of the company is quite nostalgic for us. This handsome gentleman, lovingly called Larry, introduced us to the brand slogan, “Nothing is better for thee than me.” And he was right; nothing is better than oats with strawberries. 

S. C. Johnson & Son

S. C. Johnson & Son is another one of America’s old-school cleaning products. Sadly, it is not as prevalent in the markets these days due to newer and more formidable competitors. That said, it made sure it was unforgettable with its mascots. 

They have these adorable blue anthropomorphic cleaning brushes that have cheeky personalities. Usually, washing dishes is the biggest drag in mankind’s history. However, maybe with  S. C. Johnson & Son’s product, your dishwashing experience would become a bit more bearable. 

Kellogg’s Cornflakes

Yes, we have another breakfast product in this listicle. There’s nothing we can do about it. There are just too many iconic cereals with nostalgic mascots. The rooster mascot from Kellogg’s Cornflakes is definitely one of the most famous ones. 

Adults usually prefer the clean flavor of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes more. However, it was originally designed for children seeing as the mascot was a cartoon rooster named Cornelius (Corny). He was picked as the mascot since roosters wake people up in the morning, and their cornflakes were meant to be breakfast food. 

Tootsie Pops

If our childhood could be defined by one single flavor, it was definitely the iconic Tootsie Pops Lollipops. These sweet treats were enough to send us through a massive sugar rush! Yet, no one could get enough of them, not even adults. 

A recurring question is, how many licks does it take to reach the middle part of a tootsie pop? We tried figuring out the answer many times, only to fail and end up with a sore tongue. However, the mascot, Mr. Owl, has known the answer for many years. 

Aflac

Insurance is a scam. There, we said it. Spending your hard-earned money on insurance is something we will never understand. Another thing we will never get is insurance companies using the cutest of mascots to sell their strange packages. We don’t know whether to be impressed or disgusted.

Aflac’s mascot is a common orange-beaked white duck. The reason for choosing a duck as its mascot was quite interesting. The art director of the company said that the word ‘Aflac’ sounded like the call of a duck. Therefore, they just adopted it as their mascot!

Lucky Charms

Growing up is finally admitting that Lucky Charms was trash. What we said is factually correct, and there is nothing you can do about it. These disappointing cereals became soggy almost as soon as they got into contact with milk.

You might as well eat mashed sweet potato in the morning instead of this (actually, that sounds like a good idea). As the name proclaims, each kernel of the cereal is treasure. Do you know who guards treasures by the end of rainbows? Leprechauns. Therefore, Lucky The Leprechaun was adopted as their mascot. 

Pringles

We just noticed that we dished out quite a lot of unpopular and controversial opinions in this listicle. So, let’s go out with a bang by speaking another truth: Pringles are a superior potato chip compared to Lay’s. Unlike Lay’s, Pringles actually gives you a fat stack of chips.  

They are also superior in taste and texture. Besides, unlike Lay’s, Pringles actually has a mascot. Julio Pringles is arguably the cutest snack mascot ever. He even looks like a potato. Therefore, of course, this man knows what a good potato chip should taste like.  

The Laughing Cow

Processed cheese is delicious. It may be nutritionally inferior, but no one can deny how durable and tasty it is. The Laughing Cow is one of the biggest manufacturers of processed cheese. For a low price, they serve quite a hefty portion of it. 

The best part is that the cheese actually tastes delicious, and you can share it with your family. Just like the mascot, we also smile after eating their product! No wonder this cow is laughing. It knows very well that it makes quality products. 

Keebler Cookie Company

The Keebler Cookie Company is one of the oldest cookie companies that are still functioning to this day.  Though they have had some hits and several misses, what they have going for them is consistency, which is key to having a long-standing legacy. 

Their mascot is Ernie Keebler And The Keebler Elves. Ernie is the head of the elf tribe. He instructs his followers while baking delicious cookies. Someone should actually invade the Keebler company and see if they have actual elves making cookies in there. 

Pebbles/Cocoa Pebbles Cereal

Pebbles/Cocoa Pebbles Cereal was horrendous, and someone anonymous like us had to say it out loud. If it weren’t for their brilliant marketing tactics, they wouldn’t have gotten this far. This goes on to show how impactful a mascot can be to the success of a brand. 

The Flintstones was a successful animation venture even before the cereal was created. This is one of those rare cases where the mascot was its own separate entity. The company and the creators of the series collaborated in making “Fred Flinstone” endorse the product, which bumped up sales.  

Coco Pops

Apologies, we have yet another cereal in the mix (did you catch the pun?) Unlike several other entries in this listicle, we have fond memories of Coco Pops. They were chocolaty and crunchy. You actually wanted the cereal to become soggy so that it could infuse with the milk. 

The brown monkey was an easy but effective choice for the brand. Not only did he resemble the Coco Pops from a visual point, but he was also fun and charismatic — something children really appreciated. Combined with good marketing and quality, it’s not a surprise it became a commercial success. 

Trix Cereal

This was and still is America’s favorite cereal. There was very little not to like about these pebbles. They were ununiform in shape, and thus, some kernels became soggier compared to others. Which is something we surprisingly appreciated. It created a wonderful textural difference. 

The mascot of the cereal also helped boost its sales. It was an adorable pink bunny that looked much like the Duracell and Energizer bunny. However, this one promoted fruity cereals. They were very appealing to children, especially with the slogan — “Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!”. 

Rice Krispies

We do not see many ads from Rice Krispies these days. They are already a household name and staple snack in many people’s diets. However, they once had several advertisements in the early stages of their business. They even had three cute mascots; Snap, Crackle, And Pop. 

The three gnomes cultivated the freshest rice and made crispies out of them. The brand’s lore claims that all krispies sold in the supermarket were made by the three adorable gnomes. No wonder they were such a hit among children.

B&G Foods

B&G Foods was a lifesaver to many of us on a budget. Their shelf-stable collection of vegetables has nourished generations after generations, and it’s hard not to love the wholesome image of this brand. We loved them because of their good sweet corn. 

The mascot of the company was the Jolly Green Giant. He is like a version of “Hulk” that went to therapy and moved to the farm after succeeding in anger management class. This jolly mascot grows food and serves it to the customer during winters when vegetables cannot grow. 

Honey Nut Cheerios

You know what? This one is not that bad. It’s not the best, but it’s not the worst, either. This is what kids these days call “mid.” One thing is for sure, though. This cereal is still eons better than the Bee Movie (2007). 

It’s not that hard. Anything is better than the Bee movie. The company did not actually have a mascot when it was first released. After being in the market for a while, they organized a children’s competition. A kid from Texas won and got to name and design their mascot. So wholesome!

Serta

You know how people count sheep when they want to sleep? We tried that several times. However, nothing could cure our insomnia — not even fluffy sheep jumping over fences. However, the Serta mattress company took the myth to heart and incorporated it into its mascot. 

Serta ads in the early 2000s were quite hilarious. People no longer had to count sheep after buying their mattresses since they were very comfortable. That led to sheep rioting since they had no more use after the invention of the Serta mattress!

S. C. Johnson & Son 2.0

S. C. Johnson & Son had quite a few mascots over the years. That is because they manufactured a variety of products, and one mascot was not enough to represent all of them. That’s why this is the second mention of S. C. Johnson & Son in this listicle. 

Mr. Muscle was one of S. C. Johnson & Son’s more popular and successful mascots. He was portrayed as a dashing muscular man. DC had “Superman,” but S. C. Johnson & Son had Mr. Muscles, who could wipe dirt off any surface. That counts as a superpower in our books!

Captain Morgan

Speaking of captains, it would be a shame if we did not mention Captain Morgan. Unlike Cap’n Crunch, Captain Morgan is not as PG since he is the mascot of a popular alcoholic brand. These guys specialize in flavored rums. 

If you have watched any of the installments from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, you know how much pirates adore their rum. Therefore, it was only fitting for a captain to advertise their product. A sip of their rum might bring out your inner “Jack Sparrow!” 

Goldfish Crackers

Someone should sue the Goldfish Crackers company for false advertisement since these goldfish look nothing like real goldfish. Instead, they look like tiny whales! However, we cannot complain much as these snacks are incredibly delicious. You could easily finish a box in one sitting. 

The company mascots were their product itself – the goldfish. The anthropomorphic creatures had different personalities and quirks, and their TV commercials were always fun and colorful. They could easily attract the attention of children, which translated to more sales.