What’s not to love about cuddly, funny or animated advertising icons? Since they’re not real people—and sometimes they’re not people at all—they don’t get caught up in sex scandals or popped for DUI. They don’t ask for more money, and they never age. A marketer’s dream! But how do consumers feel about them? E-Poll, via Forbes magazine, just released a study of favorite ad icons, and among the top 10 on the likability meter, the vast majority are long-time mascots with a lot of nostalgia value. There are only two newish mascots on the list—the Geico gecko and the Aflac duck. The M&M’s characters, around since 1954, led the pack as the most revered. Others who made the grade include the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and the elfin Snap, Crackle and Pop characters from Kellogg’s Rice Krispies. (Snap’s been around since 1933!) Other icons on the list have gotten makeovers, like Aunt Jemima, who dropped the mammy-style kerchief in ’89; Mrs. Butterworth, who shed a few pounds; and the Kool-Aid Man, who modernized, but not for the better.
—Posted by T.L. Stanley