The God of Gullibility

Look folks it pretty obvious people are inherently susceptible to manipulation.  Just the way it is how we're made.  You don't need years of research and millions of $ to determine that.  The use and proliferation of advertising characters proves the vulnerability and susceptibility of individuals to subliminal manufactured influences.  Focusing on visual influences; just seeing an item can influence you as shown by product placement.  Also this isn't exclusive to products.  The same effect is in play with politics as well.  As time progressed with increasing technical changes accessibility has been great increased.  Papers, books, radio, TV, now internet/phone. Not just on the computer but in your very hand.  Not only has your accessibility been greatly increased but the system actually knows YOU and can specifically target YOU: your wants and desires.  Not as just as a part of a group but you as an individual.  This will only became increasingly powerful with time and advancements. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, milk builds strong bones faults hoods we were told to sell products which have become staples in our culture.  Lies or distortions that become truths.

Impressions click-through rate - a qualitative for web analysis. Clickthrough rate (CTR) is a measure of this very effect.  Used for web analysis it is a measure of the users (YOU) willingness to click on an image when it's shown to you.  Exactly what I'm talking about here.  They know what images and subjects work best on you and it's only going to get better at it!  Commercials/Ads are now targeted specificity at YOU knowing your buttons!

It's apparent that if you find the "character" appealing it doesn't really matter, it can be a animated lizard selling you insurance or bears selling toilet paper etc etc and we go for it.  This susceptibility equally applies to politics.  Once you buy into the character they can sell you anything.  It's not like politicians lie.  "Entranced" individuals acting as the crowd and wallah you have the madness of crowds phenomena.   Can't happen here?  BS.  People are basically the same and it's always a possibility.  Once you buy in to the "character" you are basically putty.  If they don't like what is being said its "fake news."   The liar told me it was a lie.  People question everything except what their "character" says as "the truth" which they have totally bought into: words, just words.  This doesn't even addressing religious beliefs.  Believing "words" validated solely on faith/beliefs.  Believing whatever your told because of your faith in a "character."   People living or dying for a character based purely on belief.  You know the truth right!  religion = faith = buyin!

It's all the same game regardless: politics, religion or consumer products.

One of my favorite quotes is from The Point (movie 1971):

You see what you want to see and you hear what you want to hear.

To which I add -

and you believe what you want to believe.

You see what you want to see.  You hear what you want to hear.  You believe what you want to believe.

Should we add Jesus, Mohammad or God (_________ Fill in the blank) to the list of advertising characters who have been used to sell?

Richard Dawkins describes faith as belief without evidence; a process of active non-thinking.

Peter Boghossian advocates thinking of faith as "pretending to know things you don't know".

 

Tick tock folks.

Not saying you can't or shouldn't have faith but blind faith is detrimental to the abilities that GOD gave you.

But I have faith!?

 

List of American advertising characters 

[NOT Complete: Does not address politics or religion]

From Wikipedia

Characters

A

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The Burger Family: Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger, Baby Burger	A&W Restaurants	1963–1974
The Great Root Bear	A&W Root Beer	debuted 1974
The Aflac duck	Aflac insurance	2000–present	originally voiced by Gilbert Gottfried, fired in 2011; now voiced by Daniel McKeague.
The Ajax pixies	Ajax cleanser	1948–1950s	speaking voices are Joe Silver, Hans Conreid and June Foray
The White Knight	Ajax detergent	debuted 1963
Speedy Alka-Seltzer	Alka-Seltzer	1952–1964, 2010–present	voiced by Dick Beals
Mayhem	Allstate insurance	2010–present	actor Dean Winters
Bank Executive (aka focus group marketer)	Ally Financial	debuted 2009	Candid Camera-type setting; Tricks real unsuspecting children with offers and leaves them hurt or upset after adding rules and fees. Played by RJ Kelly.
Loveable Truly	Alpha-Bits cereal	1964–early 1970s	postman (voiced by Jim Nabors)
Alpha-Bits Wizard		1970s–1980s
Alfie the Alpha-Bits Cereal Wonder Dog		1980s
Alpha		2000s–present	computer who makes Alpha-Bits
Alpha Pig; Princess Presto; Super Why; Wooster; Wonder Red		2012–present	CGI-animated child stars of "Super Why" from PBS
Kids		1970s–1990s
Alphabet letters		1990s–early 2000s	Animated letters who are in cereal
Clip	AMC Theatres	1991–2009	figure made out of discarded movie film who appears in the 'coming attractions' and 'feature presentation' trailers seen at AMC movie theaters.
AMC Amazing Icons		2012–present	icons originally appeared in policy trailers advising audience that "it's movie time, not phone-talking time"; later appeared in the 'coming soon' and 'it's movie time!' trailers seen at AMC movie theaters as CGI-animated characters.
luggage-mauling gorilla	American Tourister	1970–1980s
Stuart	TD Ameritrade	1999	known for quotes like "Let's light this candle!" played by Michael C. Maronna
Oven Mitt	Arby's restaurants	2003–2006	voiced by Tom Arnold
Jeeves	Ask.com	1996–2006
Lily Adams, the AT&T Store manager	AT&T	2013–present	informs customers about AT&T's sharing plans, played by Milana Vayntrub
Aunt Jemima	Aunt Jemima	1893–2020

B

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Bacardi & Cola	Bacardi	2003
Dirty Sludge, Sticky Valve, Gummy Ring, & Blackie Carbon	Bardahl engine additive	1953
Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes	Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers	1985–1991	played by David Joseph Rufkahr (Bartles) and Dick Maugg (Jaymes)
Big Boy	Big Boy restaurants	1937–present	known for statues of figure outside of Big Boy restaurants, character in Adventures of the Big Boy comic book series hamburger of same name; live-action spots in the 1970s by Jonathan Winters
Dolly		1956–present	Big Boy's girlfriend in Adventures of the Big Boy comic book series
the grandmother in the back seat	BMW X5	2015–present	irritates her entire family with exaggerated stories while the parents are driving
the Bonny Maid	Bonny Maid floor cover products	1949–1950	played by Anne Francis
Boo Berry	Boo Berry cereal	1972–present
Elsie the cow	Borden	1938–present
Rosie the waitress	Bounty paper towels	1970–1990	played by Nancy Walker
The "A Little Better Gas Station" Crew	BP Connect Gas Stations	2007–present	plays to the song LA by Message of the Blues
Floyd D. Duck	Bubble Yum bubble gum
Bud Ice penguin	Bud Ice beer	1996	known for ominously singing "Doo-be-doo-be-doo..."
Spuds MacKenzie	Bud Light beer	1987–1990
Johnny, the Bud Light guy		1995	known for catchphrase "I love you, ma-a-a-n!"; played by Rob Roy Fitzgerald
Budweiser Frogs	Budweiser beer	1990s	One frog says "Bud," another says "weis," and a third says "er."  This is often repeated throughout the company's ads, in that order.
Frank and Louie, lizards		1998	main adversaries to the Budweiser frogs.
Budweiser Clydesdales		1930s–present	usually pulling a hitch of Budweiser with a Dalmatian riding in it.  Also appear playing football against each other.
Burger Chef and Jeff	Burger Chef restaurants	1954–1996	voiced by Paul Winchell
The Burger King	Burger King restaurants	1974–1990, 2004–2011, 2016–present
Sir Shake-A-Lot		1976–1980	knight who craved milk shakes
The Burger Thing		1976–1980	large hamburger puppet
The Duke of Doubt		1976–1980	arch-nemesis of the Burger King
The Wizard of Fries		1976–1980	robot powered by french fries
Burger King Kids Club Gang		1990–mid-2000s	Kid Vid, a blond Caucasian male who loved video games and technology; he was the leader of the group. Boomer, a sports loving Caucasian tomboy with red hair tied into a ponytail. I.Q., a male Caucasian nerd with ginger hair and freckles who wore red glasses, a green lab coat, and a pocket protector. Jaws, a tall African-American male with an insatiable appetite. J.D., a dog and the group's mascot. Lingo, a multi-lingual, Hispanic male who liked art and carried an easel. Snaps, a blonde Caucasian female who always carried her camera. Wheels, a Caucasian paraplegic male in a wheelchair. Jazz, an Asian girl who loved music and wore a beret. (Jazz added in 2000)
Herb		1985	played by John Merrick
Fighting chickens Spicy and TC		2004
Duke the Dog	Bush's baked beans	1993–present	Jay Bush's canine companion who always tries to sell his owner's secret recipe; voiced by Robert Cait
Bart Simpson	Butterfinger	1988–present
Buster Brown and his dog Tige	Buster Brown shoes	1904–present	live-action spots by Jerry Marin

C

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The California Raisins	California Raisin Advisory Board	debuted 1987	singing, dancing California raisins
Car Fox	Carfax	debuted 2008	helps people buy used cars
Joe Camel	Camel cigarettes	1987–1997
The Campbell's Soup kids	Campbell's Soup	debuted 1904
Mr. No	Capital One	2000s	played by David Spade
Cap'n Crunch	Cap'n Crunch cereal	1963–present	created by Jay Ward Productions; originally voiced by Daws Butler
Mabel the waitress	Carling Black Label beer	1950s	played by Jean Goodspeed (1951 through mid-1950s)
The Carl's Jr. Star	Carl's Jr. restaurants	1960s–present	has become Western U.S. counterpart of Hardee's
Maria	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	2013–present	host of the cooking show "Recipes for Disaster," in which she uses old family recipes but does not follow food safety properly, and her husband is aware of this as he avoids eating the cooked meals; those who do later suffer food poisoning as pointed out on screen or by the announcer.
Mr. Whipple	Charmin bathroom tissue	1965–1989	played by Dick Wilson
The Charmin Bears		2000s
Cheerios	Cherri O'Leary	1940s
	The Cheerios Kid and Sue	1950s, 1980s, 2012
Chef Boyardee	Chef Boyardee canned pastas		based on company founder Hector Boiardi
Chester Cheetah	Cheetos snacks	1986–present	voiced by Pete Stacker
Bumblebee	Chevrolet Camaro	2007–present	part of cross-promotion with the Transformers film series; also used in a television ad and sold as a level trim in the Camaro option features
The Babysitter	Chevrolet Tahoe	2014	teenager who demands more money after the mother takes her home in the family's new 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and believes that they are worth more after she sees the features.
Hy Finn	Chevron (Standard Oil of California)	debuted 1958	voiced by Paul Ford
the Chevron Cars		1995–present
The Chick-fil-A cows	Chick-fil-A	1995–present	known for the catchphrase "Eat Mor Chikin" (sic)
Catalina, the Chicken of the Sea mermaid	Chicken of the Sea	1952–present	voiced by Darla Hood in TV commercials
Mother Nature	Chiffon Margarine	1970s–1980s	best known for catchphrase "It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature!" Played by Dena Dietrich; Voice-over by Mason Adams
Chiquita bananas	Miss Chiquita Banana	1944–present
Chuck E. Cheese restaurants	Chuck E. Cheese	1977–present	voiced by Duncan Brannan until 2012 when he was replaced by Jaret Reddick (due to the revamp of Chuck E.) however Brannan's voice was still used for Chuck E Cheese Animatronic and music video shows (in studio C), that are shown inside the restaurants until late 2012.
Front Row Joe	Cinemark movie theaters	1988–1999, 2004–2011 2019–present	animated cat; sidekicks over the years have included Starstruck Penny (originally Popcorn Penny) and Clyde
Wendell, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch chef	Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
'Citizens' of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia	Cisco Systems	2010–present	fictionalized version of the real town as visited by Canadian actor Elliot Page, a native Nova Scotian
Sonny the Cuckoo Bird	Cocoa Puffs cereal	1960s–present	originally voiced by Chuck McCann
The Flintstones characters	Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles cereal	1970–present
Columbia	Columbia Pictures	1924–present	based on a representation of Columbia, a personification of the United States
Josephine the plumber	Comet cleanser	1960s–1970s	played by Jane Withers
The Slowskys	Comcast	1997–present	pair of turtles (living as a married couple in the suburbs) who favor DSL over High Speed internet; voiced by Andrew Donnelly and Rachael Harris; inspired Shaw Communications' The Snailskis in Canada.
Condom Man	Condomman.com	2003–present
Jack and Connie	Consumer Cellular	2011–present	retired couple who travel across the country in a RV
Cookie Jarvis	Cookie Crisp cereal	1977–1985
Cookie Crook		1981–1997
Cookie Cop		1985–1997
Chip the Dog		1991–2005
Chip the Wolf		2005–present
Sarah Tucker	Cool Whip dessert topping	1960s	played by Marge Redmond
Coors Light Twins	Coors Light beer		played by the Klimaszewski Twins
The Coppertone Girl	Coppertone sun-care products	1944–present
Cornelius the rooster	Corn Flakes cereal		originally voiced by Dallas McKennon, voiced in 1960s by Andy Devine
Count Alfred Chocula	Count Chocula cereal	1971–present
Sylvester P. Smythe	Cracked	–present
Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo	Cracker Jack	1918–present
Dr Jerry	Crazy Eddie	1972–1989	performed by DJ Jerry Carroll
Rastus the Cook	Cream of Wheat hot cereal	1890–present	believed to be from a photograph of Frank L. White, a Chicago chef who reportedly was paid five dollars to pose in a chef's hat and jacket
Arthur Goodwin, pharmacist	Crest toothpaste	1970s	played by Arthur O'Connell
Crows Candy Mascot	Crows	1910s–present	A crow who has a fetish for top hats and canes

D

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Phoebe Snow	Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad	c. 1903–1966?	A woman passenger wearing spotless white clothing to show that the railroad used cleaner-burning anthracite coal which would not dirty passengers' clothes.
Steven Jackson	Dell computers	2000–2003	known for quotes like "Dude, you got a Dell"; played by Benjamin Curtis
Diet Coke hunk	Diet Coke	1990s	played by Lucky Vanous
"Alternative" Rob Lowe	DirecTV	2014–present	Rob Lowe in dual roles
Hannah Davis and her talking horse		2015–present	model Hannah Davis pitching DirecTV on a beach accompanied by a talking horse who brags about himself ("The Horse's Mouth" as alluded by Davis)
"Alternative" NFL players		2015–present	part of NFL Sunday Ticket campaign, with NFL players in dual roles similar to Lowe's
The Settlers		2016–present	pioneering family who refuses to switch from cable
Peggy	Discover Card	2009–present	actually, "Peggy" is a bearded guy with a foreign accent (Romanian) who works at "USA Prime Credit," a sham credit company located in a unknown frozen location who preys on its customers trying to get information on their credit cards. Played by Romanian-American actor Tudor Petrut.
The Hopper family	Dish Network	2012–2017	Boston-area family pronounces it "Hoppa."
Ned the Banker	Ditech	2002–2006	played by Ron Michaelson; shouts the catch phrase "Lost another loan to Ditech!"; now the mascot for CashCall Mortgage
The Noid	Domino's Pizza	1980s–1990s	voiced by Pons Maar
Doublemint Twins	Doublemint chewing gum	introduced 1960s
The Most Interesting Man in the World	Dos Equis	2006–present	Played by Jonathan Goldsmith from 2006–2016; replaced by Augustin Legrand in 2016–present
Major, the Dreyfus lion	Dreyfus investments	debuted 1960s
Fred the baker	Dunkin'	1981–1997	known for quote "Time to make the donuts"; played by Michael Vale
The Puttermans	Duracell batteries	1990s
The Dutch boy	Dutch Boy Paint	1907–present

E

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Reddy Kilowatt	Electricity generation	1926–present	used by up to 300 investor-owned utilities world-wide from 1926, although use declined in the 1970s and few remain. Voiced by Walter Tetley in two short films.
Elmer the Bull	Elmer's Products	1940s-present	Note:originally the mate for Elsie the Cow of Borden's dairy products.
Jacko	Energizer batteries	late-1980s	known for catchphrase "Oi!"; played by Australian footballer Mark 'Jacko' Jackson
Energizer Bunny		1989–present
Esso tiger / Exxon tiger	Esso/Exxon	debuted 1964	See ExxonMobil website
Esurance	Erin Esurance	2005–2009	animated spy
Eveready batteries	Eveready "9 lives" cat	debuted c. 1920s–1930s

F

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Fantanas	Fanta (US only)	2002–present	fictional spokesmodels; sings musical catchphrase "Don'cha Wanna, Wanta Fanta!" Five incarnations since its debut, latter revived in 2017 as dance ensemble with one male member.
Mr. Spleen, fast-talking executive	Federal Express	1982	played by John Moschitta Jr.
Orange Bird	Florida Citrus Commission	1970s	created by Walt Disney Productions
Axelrod the dog	Flying "A" service stations	1960s
The Ford dog	Ford auto	debuted 1952
Franken Berry cereal	Franken Berry	1971–present
Fruit Brute	Fruit Brute cereal	1974-1982
Ethel the cook	Frank's Red Hot Sauce	2011–present	elderly woman who uses the catchphrase "I Put That S*** on Everything!" in front of the people who taste her food after basting it with the sauce.
The FCR Band Victorious Secrets	FreeCreditReport.com	2006–2010, 2012–present (former) 2010–present (latter)	The lead singer in the FreeCreditReport (FCR) Band was played by French-Canadian actor-singer Eric Violette. Violette's singing voice was lip-synced by another singer because of Violette's thick Francophone accent. In 2010 the group Victorious Secrets won a contest to replace the faux band in a new series of ads. In 2012 the faux band returned in a new series of ads.
Wendell the baker	French Toast Crunch cereal	1995–late 1990s
Frito Bandito	Fritos	1960s	voiced by Mel Blanc
The Frito Spokesbag		2012–present
Frito Kid		1952–1967	used for advertising at Disneyland
Yipes	Fruit Stripe chewing gum	1962–present

G

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Sammy Sands	Gadgets	1983-1991	Sammy Sands was an animatronic piano player at Gadgets, a high-scale FEC
GEICO gecko	GEICO	1999–present	voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Dave Kelly, Richard Steven Horvitz, Jake Wood, and others
GEICO Cavemen		2004–present	played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ben Weber, John Lehr, and Ben Wilson
Maxwell, The GEICO pig		2010–present
Mike, the camel		2010–2020	reminds people that he annoys that Wednesday is "HUMP DAY!”
The squirrels		2008–present	congratulated themselves after running a vehicle off the road
Spy mom		2010–present	always on her phone trying to talk to her son (she is unaware that he is a spy operative). She also is aware of the GEICO characters and wonders how they ended up in the commercial shoot during a contest sponsored by the insurer in 2018 ("No wonder they call it 'Hollyweird!’”).
Betty Crocker	General Mills	1921–present
The Gerber baby	Gerber baby products	1927–present	sketched by Dorothy Hope Smith, depicts four-month-old neighbor Ann Turner
Blue Blade razors	Gillette Sharpie the parrot	1952–1960
The Gold Dust Twins	Gold Dust Washing Powder	1880s–1940s
The Quisenberrys	Golden Corral	2015
Choo-Choo Charlie	Good & Plenty candy	1950–1970s
Gorton's Fisherman	Gorton's of Gloucester Fish products	1964–present
Granny Goose	Granny Goose snacks
Jolly Green Giant	Green Giant vegetables	1928–present	originally voiced by Herschel Bernardi; then Len Carlson
Little Green Sprout
The running Greyhound	Greyhound Lines	1937–present	also used a live greyhound in TV promotions.

H

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The Helping Hand	Hamburger Helper	debuted 1977	voiced by Patrick Coyle
Hamm's Beer bear	Hamm's Beer	debuted 1952
Harbie The Seal	Harbor Gasoline
The Hardee's Star	Hardee's restaurants	debuted 1997
Gilbert Giddyup, Speedy McGreedy		1970's, 1980's
Hartford Elk	The Hartford insurance	debuted 1974
Punchy (the Hawaiian Punch Guy), and Oaf/Opie	Hawaiian Punch	debuted 1961
John Holiday	Holiday Inn	1950s–1980s	Mascot was Paul Revere-like character
Mr. Opportunity	Honda	2004–2011
Strawberry Shortcake	Honda	2014	CGI doll version of the character
Buzz the bee	Honey Nut Cheerios cereal		originally voiced by Arnold Stang
King Ding Dong / King Don	Hostess Brands
Captain Obvious	Hotels.com	2014–present	ad campaign created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky, portrayed by Brandon Moynihan
Happy Hotpoint	Hotpoint home appliances	debuted 1955	played by Mary Tyler Moore
	Howard Johnson's Restaurants	1930s–1970s	Created by John Alcott
Simple Simon & The Pieman	Howard Johnson's Motor Lodges	1950s–1970s
The Hubba-Bubba Gum Fighter	Hubba Bubba bubble gum	debuted 1979

I

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
ICEE Polar Bear	ICEE frozen drinks
Bucky Beaver	Ipana toothpaste	1957–1959	voiced by Jimmie Dodd
Joe Isuzu	Isuzu auto	1986–1990	played by David Leisure
Little old winemaker	Italian Swiss Colony wine	1960s	played by Ludwig Stössel, voiced by Jim Backus

J

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Jack, the ping-pong-ball-headed man	Jack in the Box restaurants	1994–present
Elephant and Bartender	Jax Beer	late-1950s and early-1960s	voiced by Mike Nichols and Elaine May
Chinese baby	Jell-O gelatin	debuted 1959	voiced by Allen Swift
Mr. Jelly Belly	Jelly Belly jelly beans	1996–present
Jollibee	Jollibee	1980–present
Fruit Gang	Jolly Rancher	2015–present

K

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Kedso the Clown	Keds shoes
Kolonel Keds
Kaptain Keds and Kedzam
Ernie Keebler and the Keebler elves	Keebler snacks	1968–present	Ernie voiced by Parley Baer for many years
Cinnamon & Apple	Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal	mid-2000s–present
Toucan Sam	Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal	1952–present	voiced by Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Maurice LaMarche
Puey, Susey, Louis		1994–present	Toucan Sam's nephews
Tony the Tiger	Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal	1951-present	voiced by Dallas McKennon, Thurl Ravenscroft, Lee Marshall and now Tex Brashear
Cliffy the Clown	Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal	1953–1956
Smaxey the Seal		1957–1961
Quick Draw McGraw		1961–1965
The Smackin' Bandit		1965	half-mule half-kangaroo who kissed everyone in sight
The Smackin' Brothers		1966–early 1970s	two boys dressed in boxing shorts and boxing gloves
Indian Chief		early 1970s
Dig 'Em Frog		1972–1986, 1987–present	originally voiced by Howard Morris
Love Smack's		1982	heart-shaped dog who hugged children
Wally the Bear		1986–1987
Milton the Toaster	Kellogg's Pop-Tarts	1970s–1980s	voiced by William Schallert
Sunny the sun	Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal	1966–present	originally voiced by Daws Butler
Snap, Crackle and Pop	Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal	1928–present
Sugar Pops Pete	Kellogg's Sugar Pops cereal	1950s
Keith Stone	Keystone Light beer	2009–present
Colonel Sanders	KFC restaurants	{needs update}	Colonel Harland Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually became its mascot; a later cartoon version was voiced by Randy Quaid.
Hip-Hop Hamsters	Kia Soul	2010–present	lip-synchs to Black Sheep's 1992 single "The Choice Is Yours." The Hamsters later updated their style to coincide with the Soul's added features.
Kia Forte	The HotBot	2013–present	played by Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella
Morpheus	Kia Optima	2014–present	actor Laurence Fishburne reprising his character from The Matrix
Kid Cuisine meals	K.C. Penguin
Manners the butler	Kleenex table napkins	1957–1950s	played by Richard Cutting
Willie the Kool penguin	Kool cigarettes	debuted 1930s
Kool-Aid Man	Kool-Aid drink mixes	1975–present
Cheesasaurus Rex	Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Dairy Fairy	Kraft Singles cheese	debuted 1980s

L

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Buddy Lee doll	Lee Jeans	1998–present	based on the doll who debuted in 1921
Limu Emu & Doug	Liberty Mutual Insurance	2019–present	cop-like insurance agents (a human male and a emu sidekick); parody on 1970s TV crime drama shows
Little Mikey	Life cereal	1972–1981	played by John Gilchrist
Little Caesar	Little Caesars pizza
Lucky the Leprechaun	Lucky Charms cereal	1964–present	originally voiced by Arthur Anderson

M

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Red and Yellow M&M's characters	M&M's candy	1960s–present	originally voiced by Don Messick and Stan Freberg, now widely popular as CG spokescandies, voiced by Billy West and J.K. Simmons, respectively
Blue and Green M&M's characters		1996–present (Blue), 1997–present (Green)	Blue originally voiced by Phil Hartman now Rob Pruitt; Green voiced by Cree Summer
Orange M&M's character		1998–present	voiced by Eric Kricberger
Brown M&M's character		2010–present	voiced by Vanessa Williams
Alfred E. Neuman	Mad magazine	1954–present
Rocketman	Malektronic	2014–present
Cool Blue and Li'l Oaty	Malt-O-Meal cereal	1998–present
Marlboro Man	Marlboro cigarettes	debuted 1954	Wayne McLaren died 1992 Lung cancer David McLean, died 1995 Lung cancer Dick Hammer, died 1998 Lung cancer Eric Lawson died 2014 COPD Robert "Bob" Norris, died 2019 (natural causes, was actually a non-smoker; did 12 years until decided to end the role because he didn’t want his children to smoke)
Matty Mattel and Sisterbelle	Mattel toys	1959–1962
Marky Maypo	Maypo Oatmeal	1956–present	created by Storyboard, Inc. (John Hubley)
Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman	Maytag appliances	debuted 1967	played by Jesse White (1967–1988), Gordon Jump (1988–2003), Hardy Rawls (2003–present)
Scoopy, Gabby and TeeVee, The McClatchy Bees	The McClatchy Company	1943–present	created by Walt Disney Productions; Scoopy is the mascot for the Sacramento Bee, Modesto Bee, and Fresno Bee newspapers; Gabby was the radio mascot for McClatchy's former radio stations and TeeVee was the television mascots of now CBS O&O KOVR-TV/Sacramento and Nexstar Media Group's NBC affiliate KMJ-TV (now KSEE-TV)/Fresno.
Speedee	McDonald's restaurants	1948–1962	Original Mascot
Ronald McDonald		1959–present	originally played in Washington, D.C. by Willard Scott
Hamburglar		1971–2003	criminal type who stole hamburgers every chance he had. Originally voiced by Howard Morris, later by Charlie Adlder and Carl W. Wolfe
Grimace		1971–2003	purple character originally stole milkshakes, part of a larger population of Grimaces
Captain Crook		1970–1985
Mayor McCheese		1971–1985	incompetent mayor of McDonaldland
The Professor		1971–1985	scientist who served as McDonaldland's inventor and researcher
Officer Big Mac		1971–1985	Chief of Police of McDonaldland
Fry Kids		1972–1996	originally known as Gobblins then Fry Guys, finally Fry Kids as Fry Girls were added. Differently colored shaggy ball like creatures with long legs but no arms, looked like pom-pon's with eyes and legs
The Hamburger Patch		1973–1985	anthropomorphized hamburgers that grew on plants and were picked for consumption by Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar
Trash Cans		1970s	twin garbage cans that were used to encourage people to throw garbage out in correct areas
Birdie the Early Bird		1980–2003	yellow bird with pink jumpsuit and flight cap and scarf
The Happy Meal Gang		1984–late 2000s	hamburger, french fries, regular sized drink, McNugget Buddies ( chicken nuggets added 1989) and Happy Meal Box (added 2004)
Uncle O'Grimacey		1977–1990s	Grimace's green Irish Uncle who visited every St. Patrick's Day
CosMc		1980s–1999	alien who sporadically appeared to trade items for McDonald's food
Bernice		1992–mid-1990s	strange creature who showed up in McDonaldland occasionally
Vulture		1980s–1990s	unnamed vulture who appeared in several multi-commercial segments
Sundae		1999–2000s	Ronald McDonald's dog
Iam Hungary		1998–2001	floating, fast green fuzzball with orange arms and monstrous face
Griddler		2003	character who stole McGriddles from the main characters
Mike the Microphone		1980s	one time character who guarded door and ran studio in McDonaldland Magical Radio Station
Dr. Berlin Fries		2010s	human Frenchman with English accent, obsessed with french fries
Admiral Frownie		2010s	replacement character of Grimace, similar to Grimace except he is dark brown to resemble Dark Chocolate Brownie
Mac Tonight		1986–1997	played by Doug Jones
Little Debbie	McKee Foods	1960s-present	character based on founder's four-year-old granddaughter.
Lani Moo	Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii	1949–present	name was selected in a contest sponsored by its predecessor Dairymen's Association
The Izard of Pog; Poglodyte		1971–present	mascots for Meadow Gold Hawaii's POG drinks
Meow Mix Cat	Meow Mix cat food	1972–present	singing cat
Merrill the bull	Merrill Lynch
Leo the Lion	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	1924–present	based on the Goldwyn Company mascot, 1917–24
Bibendum	Michelin Tires	1894–present	Also known as the Michelin Man
The Micro Machines Man	Micro Machines		performed by John Moschitta Jr.
The Miller Lite Beer Refs	Miller Lite beer	2004–present
The Mobil Pegasus	Mobil	1911–present
The Morton Girl	Morton Salt	1914–present
Mr. Clean	Mr. Clean cleaning products	1958–present	first live-action Mr. Clean played by House Peters Jr.
Mrs. Butterworth	Mrs. Butterworth's syrup		a talking syrup bottle
Mimsie the Cat	MTM Enterprises	1970–1998

N

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
McGruff the Crime Dog	National Crime Prevention Council	1978–present
Juan Valdez	National Federation of Coffee Growers (Colombia)	1959–present	played by José F. Duval (1959–1969), Carlos Sánchez (1969–2006), Carlos Castañeda (2006–present)
Crash test dummies Vince and Larry	National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	1985–1999	voiced by Jack Burns and Lorenzo Music, respectively
NBC Peacock	NBC	1956–1975, 1979–present	first appeared in 1956, debuted as animated logo in 1957
Farfel the Dog	Nestlé Quik	1953–1965	played by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson
The NesQuik Bunny	Nestlé Quik/NesQuik	1973–present	voiced by Barry Gordon
Dusty the Dusthole	Nevada Air Quality Management Division	2003–present	known for catchphrase "Don't Be a Dusthole!"; played by Alan Burd
Eustace Tilley	The New Yorker	1925–present	First drawn by Rea Irvin
Li'l Penny	Nike athletic shoe	debuted 1996	voiced by Chris Rock, based on basketball's Penny Hardaway
Morris the Cat	9Lives cat food	1968–present	voiced by John Erwin

O

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The Rubberband Man	OfficeMax	2004–2005	played by Eddie Steeples
The Swedish Bikini Team	Old Milwaukee beer	1991
Old Spice sailor	Old Spice aftershave	1970s–1980s	played by John Bennett Perry
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like	Old Spice body wash	2010–present	played by Isaiah Mustafa
Vanessa	Orbit chewing gum	2002–present	played by Vanessa Branch
The Pink Panther	Owens Corning Fiberglass Insulation

P

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Madge the Manicurist	Palmolive dish detergent	1966–1992	played by Jan Miner
Pampers pampa	Pampers diapers
Patsy	Partnership for a Drug-Free America	2008	not-well-informed housewife/mother in the "Don't Be A Patsy" commercials. Played by Pam Cook
Hap-pea and Pea-Wee	Pea Soup Andersen's	debuted 1957	"non-identical twins" voiced by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Manny, Moe, and Jack	Pep Boys auto parts stores		caricatures based on founders Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice L. "Moe" Strauss, and W. Graham "Jack" Jackson
Pets.com Sock Puppet	Pets.com		originally performed by Michael Ian Black; now mascot for auto loan company Bar None
The Angels	Philadelphia Cream Cheese	1999–present	originated in Canada in 1994, although TV spots were produced in US; played in various ads by Linda Kash, Kelly Hu and Krista Sutton
Bert and Harry, the Piels brothers	Piels beer	1955–1960	voiced by Ray Goulding (Bert) and Bob Elliott (Harry)
Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy	Pillsbury	1965–present	voiced first by Paul Frees, currently by JoBe Cerny
The Pine Sol Lady	Pine-Sol cleaning detergent		played by Diane Amos
Mr. Peanut	Planters snacks	1916–present
Popsicle Pete	Popsicle ice pops	1940s–1995
Honeycomb Kid	Post Cereals' Honeycomb cereal	1980s
The Crazy Craving		debuted 1990s
Sugar Bear	Post Cereals' Golden Crisp cereal	1949–present	voiced by Sterling Holloway, Gerry Matthews
Julius Pringles	Pringles	1967–present
Flo	Progressive Insurance	2008–present	actress Stephanie Courtney
Flobot		2012–present	robot version of Flo, who is jealous of her "replacement"
Jamie		2008–present	"The Number 1 'Number 2' assistant"
The Progressive Insurance Box		2013–present	talkative bragging box
Mara		2019–present	Flo’s friend and assistant, who feels like she’s unattractive and tends to drive guys away when she talks about insurance
Motaur		2019–present	half-man-half motorcycle
Dr. Rick		2020–present	parody of Dr. Phil

Q

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Qantas koala	Qantas Airlines	debuted 1967	voiced by Howard Morris
The Quaker Oats man	Quaker Oats	1877–present
Quake	Quaker Quake cereal	1965–1970s	created by Jay Ward Productions, voiced by William Conrad
Quisp	Quaker Quisp cereal	1965–1970s	voiced by Daws Butler
Spongmonkey	Quizno's restaurants	2003–2004	characters originated on an internet blog
Baby Bob		2005–present	Baby Bob character originated on an internet blog, and had a short-lived CBS show; currently voiced by Ken Hudson Campbell

R

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The Raid bugs	Raid insecticides	1956–present
Nipper, the curious dog	RCA	1900–present
Chipper		debuted 1991	puppy version of Nipper
Happy Cows	Real California Cheese	debuted 1990s
Harmon R. Whittle	Red White & Blue Beer	1980s
Robert Hall crows	Robert Hall clothing stores	1950s
Perrôt	Rossy stores	2011–present

S

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Schlitz Malt Liquor bull	Schlitz Malt Liquor
Aunt Bluebelle	ScotTowels	1970s	voiced by Mae Questel
The Scrubbing Bubbles	Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner		originally voiced by Paul Winchell
Serta Counting Sheep	Serta mattresses		animated by Aardman Animations
Freshup Freddie	7UP soft drink	1950s	created by Walt Disney Productions
The UnDeer		early 1970s	Christmas mascot voiced by Paul Frees; 7UP issued a promotional hand puppet of the character;
Cool Spot		1987–1995
The Rock-afire Explosion	Showbiz Pizza	1980–1993
Dino the Dinosaur	Sinclair Oil Corporation	1930–1969, 1976–present	In 1932 Apatosaurus became the company trademark after a 1930 ad campaign associated dinosaurs with Mesozoic Era origins of Sinclair's Pennsylvania petroleum.
Mr. Six	Six Flags theme parks	2004–2005, 2009–present	dances to Vengaboys' "We Like to Party"
The Snapple Lady	Snapple	1990–1994, 1996–2008	played by Wendy Kaufman, who also worked for Snapple
Snuggle Bear	Snuggle fabric softener		designed by Kermit Love, voiced by Corinne Orr
Randy the Transistor Radio	Sony	1963	used for a promotional booklet
Miles Thirst	Sprite soft drink	2004–present
Charlie the Tuna	StarKist Tuna	debuted 1961	voiced by Herschel Bernardi
The Subway Shadow	Subway restaurants	2000	hand shadow voiced by Gilbert Gottfried
Peter Griffin		2005	Peter from FOX's Family Guy was used in an ad for Subway
Jared		2000–2015	Real name Jared Fogle, based on his real-life testimonial of losing weight by eating Subway sandwiches; was dropped from the company after he was convicted of child pornography, underage trafficking and having sex with a minor.
The Sun-Maid Raisin Girl	Sun-Maid raisins

T

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The Taco Bell chihuahua	Taco Bell restaurants	1997–2000	voiced by Carlos Alazraqui; portrayed by a chihuahua named Gidget
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey	Taco John's restaurants	2004–present	Capuchin monkey wearing a sombrero and poncho
Tampax Mother Nature	Tampax Tampons	2008–present	dresses conservatively and arrives to give women who might be reaching their period a "gift" (a red box), only to be turned down by her intended targets. Played by Catherine Lloyd Burns
Spot the dog	Target Stores		Adorable bull terrier dog
Taster's Choice couple	Taster's Choice instant coffee	debuted 1990	played by Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan
TD	TD Bank	2000s	Replaced the Commerce Bank's "Mr. C" after the merger
Toilet Duck	Toilet Duck toilet cleaner	mid-1990s	animatronic, helmet wearing duck head sticking out of a small tank. Typically strolls into the bathroom saying "Quack, quaaack!"
Mr. Owl	Tootsie Roll Pops	1970–present	voiced by Paul Winchell
Mr. Turtle
Captain Tootsie	Tootsie Rolls
Jan	Toyota	2010–present	played by Laurel Coppock
The Muppets	Toyota Highlander	2014–present	sings "No Time For Boring"
Geoffrey the giraffe	Toys "R" Us stores	1960s–2018	animatronic Geoffrey voiced by Jim Hanks
The roaming garden gnome	Travelocity	debuted 2003
The TriStar Pegasus	TriStar Pictures	1984–present
Trix rabbit	Trix cereal	1959–present	originally voiced by Mort Marshall; lately has been done by Russell Horton
Trojan Man	Trojan condoms
Twinkie the Kid	Twinkies snacks
The Ty-D-Bol Man	Ty-D-Bol toilet cleaners		played by Mark Matheisen, Fred Miltonberg, Bob Kaliban, Larry Sprinkle

U

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Uncle Ben	Uncle Ben's rice	1946–present	purportedly named after a Texas rice grower
Smokey Bear	United States Forest Service	1944–present	the original was found clinging to a charred tree limb as a cub following a forest fire
Woodsy Owl		1970–present	voiced by Frank Welker
Mr. ZIP	United States Post Office Department/United States Postal Service	1960s–1970s

V

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
The Verizon Wireless Test Man	Verizon	2004–2011	played by Paul Marcarelli; famous for the quote "Can you hear me now?  Good." In 2016 Marcarelli became the new spokesman for rival Sprint and "dissed" Verizon in new ads, saying "Can You Hear THAT!"
Erik The Viking	Viking Carpets		Made by International Fiberglass
The Vlasic stork	Vlasic Pickles	debuted 1970s
Miss Helga	Volkswagen GTI	debuted 2006

W

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Mickey Mouse	The Walt Disney Company	1928–present	Originally voiced by creator Walt Disney, later Jimmy MacDonald, Clarence Nash, Wayne Allwine, Bret Iwan
Jiminy Cricket		1940–present	Originally voiced by Cliff Edwards, later Clarence Nash, Eddie Carroll, Phil Snyder, Joe Ochman
Tinker Bell		1953–present
Bugs Bunny	Warner Bros. Entertainment	1940-present	Originally voiced by Mel Blanc, later Jeff Bergman, Greg Burson, Billy West, Joe Alaskey, Samuel Vincent, Eric Bauza
Wendy	Wendy's	1969–present	named after Wendy Thomas
Where's the beef? Lady		1984	Portrayed by actress Clara Peller

Y

Character	Product	Years used	Notes
Yummy Mummy	Fruity Yummy Mummy cereal	1988-1992

Other notable characters and their brands

·                    Betty Boop (1930–1992) – Paramount Pictures (former)

·                    Brawny Lumberjack – Brawny paper towels

·                    Brother Dominick – Xerox

·                    Culligan Lady – Culligan water softener

·                    Gamzee Makara – Faygo

·                    Felix the Cat (1919–1921) – DreamWorks Classics (former)

·                    Foster Farm Chickens – Foster Farms poultry

·                    Fruit of The Loom Guys – Fruit of The Loom underwear/sleepwear

·                    The Hasbro Boy – Hasbro

·                    John H. Goodwill – Goodwill thrift store

·                    Kenner Gooney Bird – Kenner

·                    Klondike The Polar Bear – Klondike ice cream bar

·                    Little Foster – Foster’s Freeze restaurants

·                    Little Miss Sunbeam – Sunbeam bread

·                    Luxo Jr. – Pixar

·                    Mia (Native American woman) – Land O'Lakes butter and dairy products

·                    The Minions – Illumination Entertainment

·                    Mr. Bluelight – K-Mart stores

·                    Mr. Bubble – Mr. Bubble bubble bath

·                    Mr. Goodwin – Crest toothpaste

·                    Mr. Meow – Meow Mix cat food

·                    Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head – Lays chips

·                    Mrs. Olson – Folgers coffee

·                    Orville Redenbacher – Orville Redenbacher gourmet popcorn

·                    Oscar Mayer Bologny Kid – Oscar Mayer bologna

·                    Pikachu - Pokémon merchandise

·                    Polar Bear – Icee drinks

·                    Popeye (1930–1988) - Paramount Pictures (former)

·                    Punchy – Hawaiian Punch drink mix

·                    Rosie The Waitress – Bounty paper towels

·                    Sambo & Jolly Tiger – Sambo’s restaurants

·                    Scrat - Blue Sky Studios

·                    Slappy the Dummy - Goosebumps merchandise

·                    Sleepy Bear – Travelodge motels

·                    Slush Puppie – Slush Puppie drinks

·                    SpongeBob SquarePants – Nickelodeon

·                    Talking T-Shirt – Adidas sportswear

·                    Tropic-Ana – Tropicana orange juice

·                    Mr. Magoo - DreamWorks Classics

·                    W.C. Fritos – Frito Lay corn chips

·                    Woody Woodpecker - Universal Studios

List

 Plenty of proof here! 

You believe what you want to believe.