Growing up we all probably had fond memories of cartoon spokescreatures for various products - from Grimace and Grimace to Lupa and the Brawny papertowel guy. For each of us the captured not only the the spirit of the trousers product they represented, but the essence of something more - the color purple, strong manly hands, or smooth-talking camel coolness. But which was the best? Joe Camel is the obvious choice here. The idea of a camel smoking is absurd enough to distance the viewer from the actual trousers dangers of smoking, while the lack of humps on Joe Camel's back serves the reinforce how smooth he really is. Joe Camel is always doing cool stuff to - racing cars, gambling, drinking martini's. Who wouldn't want to rage with him for a while? Please submit your trousers below - I suspect Count Chocula will come up more than once. ****Updated to reflect the inspirational/hmo influence of childhood heroes on grown up Lupa
Tough to top the obvious route of Joe Camel for the afformentioned reasons. As far as for a pure subconscious marketing ploy, I'd have to say that the Roadrunner was pretty smart, albeit apparent, even for a horribly run company like time warner. Since I doubt Joe Camel can be topped, I'd like to submit the worst animated spokesperson ever:
ReplyDeleteThe Jolly Green Giant.
Hey kids, think vegetables suck? Well, you're gonna loves peas when you see this disgusting HUGE GIANT GREEN guy in a motherfking loan cloth!
Seriously, could his loin cloth be any shorter? it's as if they want to show off HIS frozen vegetable:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bejgg.jpg
I can't imagine anything that would scare a child more. He's the antithesis of cool, had a stupid, oafy voice, and he rips off arguably a child's favorite character of all time as his catch phrase is "Ho Ho Ho".
Lindsay Lohan could make better decisions regarding this character than the folks at Giant Green. He'd be more welcoming to kids if he had Danny Devitos face and was offering syringes.
Like you weren't in the whole enough marketing large peas to kids? You make a scary a$$ mascot in green, make him giant, make him rip off Santa Claus, and then team him up wiht a "Little Green Sprout" to appeal to the masses.
KY Jolly Green Giant.
whole s/b hole
ReplyDeleteThe best was the cookie crisp criminal. This cereal is so good, that guy is willing to go to prison multiple times trying to steal it! I gotta get me some of that.
ReplyDeleteJoe Camel really is one cool camel. I think he must have been Dos Equis's inspiration for The Most Interesting Man in the World (best real-life spokesperson?).
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that TG and TP bring up Count Chocula and the Cookie Crisp animal. I really don't think there is a consumer product with a greater number of cartoon character spokespeople than cereal - Lucky the Leprechaun, Tony the Tiger, Snap Crackle and Pop, the Flintstones, the crazy bird thing from Cocoa Puffs, the Trix Rabbit, the bee from Honey Nut Cheerios, Toucan Sam, the cop and robbers from Cookie Crisp, the monkey from Cocoa Crispies, the crazy animal thing from Honeycomb, Cap'n Crunch, Frankenberry, and certainly countless others that I can't even think of right now because I didn't eat my cereal this morning. The thing is, most of these characters (though admittedly created to target children) are complete f'ing tools, and a tougher question than "which is the coolest?" is "which one should go throw himself off the golden gate bridge immediately?". Trix Rabbit is one option, because the guy is such an idiot he gets duped by small children on a regular basis. However, I nominate the rabbit thing from Cocoa Puffs to go off himself first. I cannnot stand that guy's (girl's?) voice, the fact that he cannot control himself after eating one bite of sugary cereal, or the little tussle of feathers standing up on the top of his head. Stupid bird thing: GKY.
rabbit s/b bird
ReplyDeleteI imagine that the Domino's Noid would the be most polarizing and divisive character in history.
ReplyDeleteI know this is going off in a tangent but - cage match brawny papertowel guy vs Mr. Clean - who's the last man standing? Mr. Clean has such a shiny slippery head it might be hard to get him in a chokehold. But the brawny guy has a flannel shirt that could be distracting.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the Trix Rabbit, he's sorta like Wile E Coyote and the Roadrunner- always so close you can taste his victory, but then he gets poofed and leaves a sour taste.
Toucan Sam seemed pretty chill, especially since we met the human inspiration that one time on spring break
Spot from 7-up had his own game back in the Genesis and SNES days. It was pretty G' damn awesome. That's gotta earn some points. Of course, he doesn't exist anymore...
ReplyDeleteA) Mr. Clean is way more badass. Would wipe the floor with Brawny (pun intended). My two favoirtes... Mr. Peanut & the Cool-Aid guy. Mr. Peanut if for nothing more than his staying power. guy has been around forever and has succumbed to the presurres of society/media/popular opinion to change his image. Now Mr. Kool Aid. Granted he is mildly retarded. However, this guy loves strong drink and enough to break through walls to get it and share it. I mean... look at the heart in this guy. Wants to spread his juice to the world. No matter how you look at it he's awesome. Oh yeaahhhhhhh...
ReplyDeletehas succumbed s/b has NOT succumbed
ReplyDeleteMr. Peanut versus Mr. Monopoly in a gentlemen's duel. Who wins?
ReplyDeleteI'd say it depends on the weapons chosen. Mr. Peanut, while technically a peanut, is about the size of an above average male, while Mr. Monopoly is around the 3ft tall range. If it were pistols, I'd give the advantage to Mr. Monopoly. While they both have poor eyesight, there is just so much more of Mr. Peanut to hit.
If the weapons chosen were rapiers however, I'd give the advantage to Mr. Peanut due to his reach advantage and hard shell covering.
Uncle Moneybags does make some great cameo appearances. This topic reminded me of an old simpsons clip where Mr Burns (not JOHN PATRICK BURNS of hong kong) takes some ether and confuses home for "Mr. Poppin Fresh". Please see link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pqcESS0gRc
ReplyDeleteAlso, are the pillsbury dough boy, the michelin man and the marshmellow man from Ghostbusters all part of some unholy trinity intent on destroying the world? If I had to guess, I would say yes. Especially the little one, his voice is especially impish.
To be fair... if you had people constantly poking and prodding you to squeal everyday... you go ape$hit as well.
ReplyDelete