Those Marvelous Mid-Century Mascots
By Michele Bazan Reed | bazanreed@hotmail.com
I heard an annoyed meow coming from the kitchen. I was — gasp — 15 minutes late. And anyone who’s met my 15-year-old rescue kitty knows that orange and white furball hates to miss a meal.
“Sorry, Charlie,” I said automatically, as I scooped the Fancy Feast into his bowl, and immediately burst into a big smile.
The phrase had triggered a happy memory, one of my favorite commercials from childhood: the StarKist tuna ad featuring Charlie the Tuna. Charlie is big blue tuna, dressed like a beatnik, and wearing a red beret and carrying a small black pipe.
Every commercial featured Charlie trying some antics to get StarKist to include him in their tuna, because he had such “good taste.” The tricks never worked. “Sorry, Charlie,” the announcer always said. “StarKist doesn’t want tuna with good taste, we want tuna that tastes good!”
It was a fun commercial from the heyday of product mascots, the 1960s. Charlie went missing from the screen for decades but early this year, StarKist brought him back in an Internet promotion.
That got me reminiscing about iconic ads of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.
We’ve all got our favorites. They seemed more innocent then, less sophisticated.
Cartoon characters were a popular feature of the ads, and the simple artwork and animation seem almost quaint in this age of computer-generated graphics and mind-blowing special effects.
One of my favorites as a child growing up was Speedy, the Alka-Seltzer spokesman. He was developed in 1953 and starred in commercials from then until 1964.
With his body an Alka-Seltzer tablet and his hat a tablet laid flat on his head, emblazoned with his name on the edge, the baby-faced mascot could vanquish headache, nausea and other symptoms with a wave of his wand. Early ads found him singing, “Relief is just a swallow away.” Later came the familiar jingle we all know and love: “Plop. Plop. Fizz. Fizz. Oh, what a relief it is.” I’d go around singing it nonstop, till my poor parents probably needed Alka-Seltzer for the headaches I gave them!
And what kid didn’t love the Kool-Aid man? Developed in 1954, he started life as Pitcher Man, a frosty pitcher with a smiley face drawn in the condensation. In early ads, he showed up at picnics and parties to remind 1950s families that “A 5-cent package makes two quarts!”
A new version debuted in 1974. The renamed Kool-Aid Man, now with arms and legs, broke through walls to deliver Kool-Aid with his trademark phrase, “Oh yeah!”
Remember Poppin’ Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy? He hit the scene in 1965 with his chef’s toque and blue neckerchief, and charmed TV watchers with a cheery giggle when his chubby tummy was poked.
Mr. Peanut, that dapper gentleman with monocle, top hat and cane is more than 100 years old. The anthropomorphic peanut spokesman for Planters’ was designed by a 14-year-old boy as part of a 1916 contest run by the brand. An advertising artist added the classy accessories.
We met some of our favorite mascots while we sat cross-legged in our jammies, watching Saturday morning cartoons. I’m talking about those wild and wacky cereal mascots. Many from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s are still seen in grocery store aisles today.
Snap, Crackle and Pop, the zany elf mascots of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, date from 1933 and don’t look a day older than when they first came on the scene.
Sugar Bear, the mascot of Post Super Sugar Crisp, later called Golden Crisp, was developed in the 1940s.
Tony the Tiger was born in 1952, but he continues to roar, “They’re grrrrrrreat!” in commercials for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes.
The Trix Rabbit tried every trick in the book to get his paws on that sugary treat but was always told by children, “Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids.”
Other Saturday morning spokesmen were Toucan Sam for Froot Loops, Lucky the Leprechaun for Lucky Charms, and Count Chocula and Cap’n Crunch for their own cereals.
Even local brands had fun mascots. As a kid, I loved the commercials featuring Schultz and Dooley, talking beer steins from Utica Club Beer.
The original steins were wooden, not ceramic. Schultz had a German design and wore a helmet. Dooley was a simple cream-colored stein with a green shamrock on the front. Both mugs were voiced by famous comedian Jonathan Winters in commercials running on local TV from 1958-1964. The humorous spots put the two friends in funny situations, like landing on a moon made of actual cheese.
Eventually a whole cast of mug characters grew up around the first two, including Officer Sudds, Farmer Mugee and Cousin Emma. In one spot they’re all in a police line up. “Alright you mugs!” growls the police mug, as Schultz and Dooley look on.
I loved those commercials so much, I begged my dad to drink Utica Club in the hopes we could get a stein. I wish we had! They’re still popular and highly sought after by collectors.
Freihofer baked goods are on Central New York store shelves now, but when I grew up in the Capital District, they were a local brand. And their advertising campaign included Freddie, a cartoon rabbit mascot, with his own local television program, “Freddie Freihofer Bread Time Stories,” which ran from 1948 to 1966.
The host, “Uncle” Jim Fisk, posing as a delivery driver, drew pictures on a flip chart that illustrated stories about Freddie and his animal friends, to the delight of the audience, local kids seated on bleachers. Then, he’d hand a red crayon to a kid with the invitation to draw a “squiggle,” which Uncle Jim would make into a cartoon animal using his black crayon.
All the audience members got a big Freihofer chocolate chip cookie, but any birthday kids whose parents sprung for the cost, got a Freihofer birthday cake.
I remember being in the audience for a show, but I don’t remember if it was with my Brownie troop or a friend’s birthday — maybe both!
I still remember the theme song:
“Freddie Freihofer, we think you’re swell.
Freddie, we love the stories you tell.
We love your cookies, your bread and your cakes.
We love everything Freddie Freihofer bakes.”
What are some of your favorite commercial mascots? Did I miss any? If so, write to me at the email address at the top of the page.