Captain Birdseye has been named the most iconic advertising character on British television, a survey has revealed.
But the flirty Gold Blend couple - Tony and Sharon - are the most missed, according to brand experts.
The list of best “mascots” for grocery brands was topped by the familiar bearded seadog who has been serving up fish fingers to his young shipmates on UK screens for 55 years.
First played by actor John Hewer in 1967, the latest incarnation to don the skipper’s cap is Italian silver fox Riccardo Acerbi who sent pulses racing when he made his TV debut in 2018.
According to the survey by trade journal The Grocer, Cadbury’s chocolate frog Freddo is second on the powerhouse list of ad creations while relative newcomer Kevin the Carrot who first hit screens in Aldi’s Christmas campaign in 2016 took third place.
Like Kevin who has captured shoppers’ hearts, Marks & Spencer had a hit on their hands ever since unleashing Percy Pig on the public in 1992.
The character which began life as a bag of sweets and now has a range of confectionery, clothing and cakes and is also a social media sensation even made fashion bible Vogue’s hot list in 2008.
Coco the monkey who is the face of Kellogg’s Coco Pops, the M&Ms characters and the Duracell bunny all made the top 10 advertising icons list.
But The Grocer also named nine faces of brands that have disappeared from telly screens but are still missed by the public who would welcome a comeback.
They include Tony and Sharon - played by Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan - in a series of romantic ads for Nescafe Gold Blend which ran from 1987-1993.
Their will they, won’t they have an affair captivated the nation and culminated in “the kiss” in 1989 which was watched by 30 million.
Instant mash brand Smash’s lovable martians who cackled at the thought of humans peeling potatoes to make mash and the Man from Del Monte who always said “yes” were on the gone but not forgotten list.
Camilla Yates, strategy director at creative agency Elvis, said: “Research has shown that brand characters are more effective drivers of uniqueness than any other identity element, including a brand’s logo.
“But they go beyond this and cut through to humanise a brand, adding warmth and personality to a set of functional attributes and benefits.”
The Grocer added: “More memorable than a slogan and more reliable than celebrities, mascots have been ‘visceral shortcuts’ for grocery brands seeking cut-though for years.”
Top 10 telly ad icons and when they were created
1. Captain Birdseye, Birds Eye - 1967
2. Freddo the Frog, Mondelez/Cadbury - 1973
3. Kevin the Carrot, Aldi - 2016
4. Coco the Monkey, Kellogg’s - 1963
5. M&Ms, Mars Wrigley - 1954
6. Julius Pringle, Kellogg’s - 1967
7. Bunny, Duracell - 1973
8. Percy Pig, Marks & Spencer - 1992
9. Peperami Animal, Jack Link’s - 1991
10. Aunt Bessie, Nomad Foods - 1995
And the nine best 'gone but not forgotten' ad icons
1. Tony and Sharon (1987-1993) - The Nescafe Gold Blend couple
2. PG Tips chimps (1956-2002)
3. Smash martians (1974-1992)
4. Oxo family (1958-2016)
5. The Man from Milk Tray (1968-2016)
6. Man from Del Monte (1980s)
7. Knitting nanas (1997-2017) - Shreddies ads
8. George the bear (1980s) - Hofmeister lager
9. Douglas the trombonist (1985-2003) - Lurpak
