Spuds MacKenzie, Mr. Whipple, Joe Isuzu, the California Raisins Ö the list of images, people or creatures that have been used successfully in advertising is a long one. We love them (or love to hate them), we mimic them, but most of all, we believe themóor we wouldnít buy their wares. Certain charactersóthe ones we remember from childhoodóhave a way of defining the era we grew up in, just as our remembrance of them reveals our age. While Baby Boomers will likely recall the Ajax White Knight, Speedy Alka-Seltzer and Mr. ZIP, their offspring grew up with ties to Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes, McGruff the Crime Dog and Vince and Larry (the crash-test dummies).

Lots of emotions and memories are wrapped up around a large pool of product-hawking personas. But there is an elite tier of personageóthe platinum members of the brand character crowdóthat have outlived, outranked and outsold even the luggage-mauling American Tourister gorilla. These are the notable mascots, characters and icons that have, in some way, become the brand itself. Their personalities are memorable, effective and timeless, and numbering in their ranks are the likes of Aunt Jemima, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Elsie the Cow, the Morton Salt Girl and others.

WHAT MAKES THEM WORK?
While characters whose vocations revolve around pushing cigarettes or liquor are different animals from those endorsing breakfast cereal, some common denominators exist among the longest-lived brand personas. Although your next project may not be for a major player like the examples cited here, just thinking about your own experiences with brand mascots puts you in a better position to make good recommendations. So, let’s take a trip down Memory Lane and review what exact factors have made certain brand personalities last so long.

(left) Brad Norr Design: Smashgolf
Smashgolf is a golf brand developed to appeal to a group of golfers somewhere between the country club and Gen-X/extreme sports demographics. It includes a line of clothing, accessories and products bearing this brand, as well as a web portal that not only sells the branded products, but also links to other lifestyle sites and information. The brand strategy is to position Smashgolf as edgy, but not anarchic.

Brad Norr Design came up with the name Smashgolf, and created the logo character based on the “love it/hate it” dichotomy of golf. Although there are some print applications for Smashgolf, the majority of interface with the public is through the internet. The main goal is to have fun with the average obsessed golfer, and to create an identity that the (predominantly male) audience could identify with.

They are identifiable and custom.
Each successful brand character has something to make them distinguishable from the sea of product-icon wannabes. In the case of illustrated or animated characters, they might have been developed in a unique style. If the character has a voice, it is typically memorable and identifiable. If movement is part of the character’s repertoire, more than likely the range of possible motion will be tailor-made and well-thought-out. All of these elements become part of the brand identification, just as consistent color and font usage combine to create a memorable corporate identity. The GEICO Gecko is a present-day popular icon that exemplifies the characteristics of a highly identifiable character.

(right) National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia
The Juan Valdez® character was created in 1959 by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. Juan was developed to teach consumers about Colombian coffee—how it is grown and harvested in order to get the perfect cup. As the character evolved, the campaign became more humorous and showed situations of extreme demand for Colombian coffee. However, the character maintained its authentic and humble nature—regardless of the situation he found himself in.

In 1982, the Federation introduced the Juan Valdez logo. The logo proved to be efficient in helping shoppers identify 100-percent Colombian coffee brands. In 2002 the Federation launched the Juan Valdez coffee shops. A new brand application was designed to identify the coffee shops and other products that derived from them. The identity includes Juan’s signature—to symbolize his personal endorsement.

In the spirit of maintaining the character’s authenticity, the role of Juan Valdez traditionally has been played by one actor. This strategy has been shared by other marketers, including Maytag’s “Ol’ Lonely” Repairman.

They are appropriate.
While a goofy cartoon character can aptly sell snack cakes and cookies, a similar approach would not be as effective in the luxury auto category. Many brands have appropriately adopted no-brainer mascots—like Borden’s Elsie the Cow for dairy products—while other goods such as Energizer batteries take a seemingly unrelated image—the Energizer Bunny—and make it work. In nearly all instances, the successful mascot or character is carefully crafted, so as not to conjure up offensive images of the brand or its category.

About the author
Sheree Clark is managing partner of Sayles Graphic Design in Des Moines, Iowa; an author and speaker on organizational and business issues; and owner of Art/Smart Consulting, which provides selfpromotion and business strategies to creative professionals.

Read the full article in the September 2007 issue of Dynamic Graphics magazine.

Thanks to our friends at Jupiter Images for sharing this great info.

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