Next year will mark 150 years of the Quaker Oats Man – one of the first-ever brand mascots created specifically to convey the Quaker values of integrity, honesty, and purity. While Kellogg’s iconic Snap, Crackle, and Pop date back to the 1930s, these personalities are mere youngsters compared to the man in the broad-brimmed hat; a trademark registered by the U.S. Patent Office in 1877.
Characters such as these, as well as the likes of the Michelin Man, Mr Peanut, and Tony The Tiger, were ‘recognition era’ mascots – essentially, identifiers built for memory and distinctiveness and to be recognised as brand characters. Next up, we saw the rise of ‘personality era’ mascots – storytellers built for entertainment and emotional connection – from The Duracell Bunny to Ronald McDonald and the PG Tips Monkey.
