Friendly mascots like Tony the Tiger and Ronald McDonald used to be the lifeblood of food marketing campaigns – but in the age of social media and celebrity influencers, they've largely fallen out of favour. Until now, that is. This year has already seen McDonald's cuddly purple pal Grimace return as a viral meme, while sandwich chain Quiznos is staging a revival with the help of its creepy rodent mascots the Spongmonkeys. We look at why they’re making a comeback, and celebrate the most famous (and often frightening) food mascots of all time.
When McDonald's launched its limited-edition Grimace Shake to celebrate the fuzzy purple mascot’s 52nd birthday in June 2023, the chain could never have predicted it would inspire a bizarre TikTok trend. The unassuming berry-flavoured milkshake, said by McDonalds to be ‘inspired by Grimace’s iconic colour and sweetness’, soon took on a life of its own on social media, with TikTokers posting viral memes of themselves drinking it before pretending to die in dramatic fashion.
Grimace is one of McDonald's most recognisable characters, first introduced as a milkshake-stealing villain in 1971 before being rebranded a year later as Ronald McDonald's cuddly but clumsy best friend. While all of McDonald's mascots have received somewhat less attention in the last few years, Grimace did enter the headlines in 2021 when Brian Bates – a manager of a restaurant in Canada – revealed the answer to decades of speculation about the character’s mysterious identity, confirming he is actually an enormous taste bud.
Sandwich chain Quiznos is currently plotting a comeback with the help of its infamous rodent mascots, the Spongmonkeys. These creepy critters, known for their uncanny human teeth and off-key singing, formed a huge part of the brand’s advertising campaign in 2003 with their catchphrase: 'We love the subs, ‘cause they are good to us.' Although they were quickly ditched in 2004, partly due to the tens of thousands of complaints made about them, the Spongmonkeys have had a cult following ever since, being forever immortalised in meme culture.
Founded in Denver in 1981, Quiznos once had over 5,000 locations, at one point becoming the second-largest sub chain in North America behind Subway. Unfortunately it was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2014, shuttering more than 4,000 stores. But fast-forward to 2023 and the brand is back with a new look, a new ad featuring the Spongmonkeys on a road trip to find the nation’s remaining Quiznos and plans to open lots more stores.
After a very short-lived retirement, the M&M's 'spokecandies' quickly came back. In January, parent company Mars released a statement putting the beloved mascots on an 'indefinite pause' and appointing actor and comedian Maya Rudolph as M&M's new 'Chief of Fun'. The move, however, has been revealed to be part of a PR stunt, culminating in a 2023 Super Bowl ad where the mascots announced their return.
The M&M’s mascots are as famous as the sugar-coated chocolate sweets they represent. But a 2022 revamp of the characters, designed to portray a more inclusive image, sparked backlash. Some believed this was the reason for the mascots' retirement; however, it was all part of a clever campaign. Following the 'spokescandies' reinstatement, the brand announced plans to double the number of $10,000 grants offered to change-making women for International Women's Day 2023 (as part of Mars most recent initiative).
M&M's mascots aren't new to Super Bowl screens – in fact, the characters were launched via a Super Bowl ad in 1994. Although the candies had been around for decades, sales had flatlined, and the mascots were designed to revitalise the brand. Each M&M's colour was given a name and personality to create a comedic ensemble. In January 2022, the characters underwent a rebrand to emphasise the importance of self-expression and create a more inclusive tone. Then, in September 2022, M&M's launched their first new character in over a decade: 'Purple', the first-ever female peanut M&M.
Now read about our other all-time favourite food mascots:
Before the days of social media, influencers and celebrity endorsements, many brands relied on their mascots to do the bidding either on TV or in printed ads. From a tiger that's been a part of our breakfasts for decades to a burger-lovin' clown, we take a look at popular and long-standing fictional food heroes and how they've changed throughout the years. Still waving the flag for their brands, these are some of the most influential food mascots of all time.
America's First Lady of Food, Betty was first dreamed up in 1921 by General Mills (then Washburn Crosby Company) to answer the countless baking questions the company received from consumers. The name Betty was chosen as it sounded friendly and Crocker was the surname of a retired company director. For many years, home economist Marjorie Husted (pictured) was the real-life woman behind the fictional Betty, scripting and voicing Betty’s radio show The Betty Crocker Cookery School of the Air from 1924.
Being imaginary didn’t stop Betty really hitting her stride in the 1950s as she went from starring in her own TV show and adverts (when she was played by actress Adelaide Hawley) to publishing dozens of bestselling cookbooks and launching her famous range of cake mixes. Although most people know that she's a fictional character, she's still regarded as one of the most influential chefs to inspire home cooks in the 20th century. Here, Betty's changing face is pictured through the decades.
Named after a particularly large variety of pea harvested by the Minnesota Valley Canning Company, Green Giant first appeared in 1925. The original giant (pictured on a can from 1928) had very little in common with the version we're familiar today – a scowling caveman, the giant was wearing a bearskin and was a nod to a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Ten years later his image was revised, to appear more friendly to audiences. The character got a new leafy suit and a friendly smile, and was renamed Jolly Green Giant.
Throughout the decades, Jolly Green Giant changed his appearance several times. In 1936 he carried a cob of corn to celebrate the launch of tinned sweetcorn while the 1960s mascot was given a red scarf to usher in the company's frozen ranges. Since 1972, he's also been accompanied by the Little Green Sprout, his young apprentice. Regarded as one of the top ad icons of the 20th century, Jolly Green Giant now welcomes visitors to the town of Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA, where the company was founded, in the form a 55-foot tall (16.7m) fibreglass statue.
Some 27 years after Kool-Ade – as it was then known – had hit the shelves, advertising executive Marvin Potts created a sentient pitcher, known as Pitcher Man. By 1975 the idea for Kool-Aid Man was developed and the pitcher was given arms, legs and an explosive personality. By the 1980s, he had become a popular culture icon with his own Marvel comic series – The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man – where he fought off villains called Thirsties (pictured).
Up until 1994, Kool-Aid Man was a live-action character, smashing through walls exclaiming the signature slogan "Oh yeah!" before delivering a refreshing drink to thirsty kids. Although the mascot became entirely computer-generated in 2008, the live-action version has made several appearance since then. The famous pitcher is also a supporting character in the animated TV show Family Guy and has made notable appearances in both The Simpsons and Robot Chicken.
The mascot of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes since 1952, Tony the Tiger has been part of many morning meals for decades. Originally much more tiger-like with a teardrop-shaped head, Tony was designed by a team of former Disney animators. But what really made this mascot so popular wasn't necessarily his looks. Voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft for five decades, Tony's deep bass tone and familiar catchphrase "They're gr-r-reat!" instantly appealed to customers. Pictured is one of the first ads to feature Tony in 1952.
By the 1970s, Tony was revealed to be Italian-American and audiences got introduced to his wider family: Mama Tony, Mrs. Tony and daughter Antoinette. His son, Tony Jr. even had his own short-lived cereal, Frosted Rice. Today, Tony's appearance might have changed into a more muscular, human-like yet digitised shape, but it's still the familiar blue nose, friendly smile and black-and-white ears staring back from cereal boxes on our breakfast tables.
A much-loved character in the UK, Captain Birds Eye also goes by the name Captain Iglo in a number of European countries, and is mostly associated with the brand's most popular product, frozen fish fingers. An older sailor with a white beard, the captain sails with a crew of children, a reference to the brand's family-friendly products, and is mostly dressed in a naval uniform with a white polo neck sweater. Pictured here is the first captain, played by actor John Hewer.
The original Captain Birds Eye first appeared in a 1967 TV commercial, but Birds Eye got rid of the character in 1971, prompting The Times to run an obituary. The captain was resurrected just three years later and has since been played by seven different actors. After a huge brand revamp in 2018, the character returned to TV screens in the UK and is now played by Riccardo Acerbi. Pictured is a golden statue of Captain Birds Eye unveiled in London in 2017 to celebrate the mascot's 50th birthday.
One of the oldest food mascots around, Mr. Peanut is a centenarian, having first appeared in Planters ads and on products in 1916 (pictured here in a promotional book in 1920). Reportedly of British heritage, Mr. Peanut, full name Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe, is an old-fashioned gentleman dressed in white gloves and spats with a cane, monocle and top hat. Interestingly, the character never spoke in ads until as recently as 2010 when Robert Downey Jr became Mr. Peanut's first-ever voice actor.
In a rather shocking turn of events, Mr. Peanut died in a Super Bowl commercial in 2020, sacrificing himself to save actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh after a Nutmobile accident. The full ad showed the actors and fellow mascots, like Kool-Aid Man and Mr. Clean attending Mr. Peanut's funeral. In the end, Kool-Aid Man's tears combined with sunlight resulted in a new incarnation of Mr. Peanut, Baby Nut, to grow from the soil. Throughout 2020 Baby Nut grew up to be Peanut Jr, who then became the new Mr. Peanut in May 2021.
Cheetos' original mascot, the Cheetos Mouse, was dropped in favour of Chester in 1985. Often pictured attempting to steal other people's Cheetos, Chester's sly, smooth voice can often be heard exclaiming "It's not easy being cheesy" and the famous "Dangerously cheesy!" slogans in TV ads. However, the suave cat hasn't always been so smooth – in the early days his stunts often ended in Looney Tunes-like cartoon violence.
The self-described "hip kitty" underwent an image change in the early 2000s when he became a computer-generated character. The 21st-century Chester has also gained a cool mid-Atlantic accent and is no longer getting in all sorts of trouble for Cheetos. Instead, he encourages consumers to use their Cheetos for cheeky pranks and often engages in tongue-in-cheek conversation with his followers on social media.
Known to most as Pillsbury Doughboy, the lovable character's real name is Poppin' Fresh. First introduced in a TV ad in 1965, the pudgy character with bright blue eyes, smiling face and world-famous giggle was originally only supposed to promote Pillsbury's range of refrigerated dough. Within three years the Doughboy had become so popular, the company made him the face of all their products.
Originally created by a designer from Disney, who used stop-motion clay animation to bring Poppin' Fresh to life, the character has appeared in over 600 ads for 50 products. Since the 1970s, Poppin' has also had a family: Poppie Fresh, Granmommer and Granpopper, Uncle Rollie, son Popper, daughter Bun-Bun, and Flapjack and Biscuit (the Fresh family's dog and cat). Today, the cute character still sports his signature chef's hat and white neckerchief, and to a belly tickle will respond with the famous "Hoo Hoo!"
Although most commonly associated with Nesquik's chocolate drinks and cereal, Quicky's first appearance was on a strawberry-flavoured milk powder Quik (predecessor to Nesquik) in 1960. The pink rabbit was sporting a strawberry hat and was pictured eagerly drinking the milk. In the early 1970s, Quicky was redesigned and took on a more familiar appearance.
It wasn't by accident that Nestlé's trustworthy mascot is a rabbit. Advertising executives were keen to underline how quick and easy it is to make a drink with Nesquik and a bouncy, energetic rabbit was the best way to do it. Unlike other mascots, Quicky's appearance hasn't changed that dramatically since his first appearance. In the early 2000s some ads with Quicky saw him dressed in baggy jeans and a baseball cap, but his facial features have remained largely unchanged.
From a Renaissance-like king sitting on a burger in the 1950s to the slightly creepy masked king of the 2010s, The Burger King has had many faces throughout his time as mascot for the popular fast food chain. He first appeared in 1955, in a Burger King restaurant in Miami Florida, sitting on a burger throne. In the early 1970s he was renamed Kurger Bing until 1976, when the original animated king was replaced by the Marvelous Magical Burger King – a red-bearded, Tudor era-like king who performed magic tricks and ruled over the Burger King Kingdom (pictured).
The king was retired for some 15 years before he returned as simply the King, sporting a somewhat unnerving oversized mask. The story goes that an advertising executive, hired to reimagine the mascot, found an oversized mask of the 1970s king on eBay. He bought the mask for inspiration, but after consideration, the agency decided to restore it and make it a part of the king's new image. Since then, his grinning face is often pictured in unexpected situations, like behind doors or in people's beds, offering them Burger King food.
Smiling from cereal boxes, Cap'n Crunch, full name Horatio Magellan Crunch, is an 18th-century captain with a Revolutionary-style naval uniform. First introduced in 1963, it became one of Quaker Oats' most-loved mascots. The captain sails on SS Guppy and comes from Crunch Island in the Sea of Milk – a magical place with talking trees that produce Crunch Berries and Mount Crunchmore made out of Cap'n Crunch cereal.
Over the years other characters have been added to the Crunch universe, including Sea Dog, Smedley the Elephant, shapeshifting Chockle the Blob and bare-footed pirate Jean LaFoote. In the 1980s, the captain was also often pictured fighting the Soggies and their leader Sogmaster, with most ads centred around their efforts to make the cereal go soggy. Unlike many other mascots, Cap'n Crunch's appearance hasn't really changed in the nearly 60 years he's been a part of our breakfasts.
Ronald McDonald was first introduced to audiences in 1963, when actor Willard Scott (who played the immensely popular Bozo the Clown at the time) took on the persona of the red-haired clown for three TV ads promoting McDonald's (pictured). He was referred to as "Ronald McDonald – the hamburger-happy clown" and sported a drink cup on his nose as well as a food tray as a hat. Almost instantly, the character proved to be popular, largely due to the success of Bozo at the time, and soon after Ronald took on the form we all recognise today.
Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Ronald was part of a fictional world called McDonaldland, where he was often portrayed having adventures with characters like Mayor McCheese and the Hamburgler. During that time, the characters, especially Ronald, were played by full-time actors who attended regular events – at one point, there were as many as 300 full-time clowns employed by McDonald's. The McDonaldland characters were dropped in 2003 and while Ronald makes far fewer appearances these days, he's still probably the best-known food mascot in the world.