Around the world, he’s known as Don Limpio, Monsieur Net and Mister Proper but, here in America, he’s just Mr. Clean—and his famous bald face has been popping up in messy kitchens since 1957.
Dreamed up by Harry Barnhart and Ernie Allen of the Chicago ad firm Tatham-Laird & Kudner, Mr. Clean was given a tough, muscular appearance that was reportedly modeled after a Navy sailor.
The melody and lyrics of his trademark jingle (“Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean…”)—which will now be stuck in your head, by the way—were penned by legendary ad man Thomas Scott Cadden, who went on to write, produce and direct Mr. Clean commercials until the 1970s. Don Cherry and Betty Bryan provided the original vocals for the jingle, which is now the longest-running in advertising history.
Over the years, Mr. Clean has been illustrated, animated and even portrayed by live actors but, surprisingly, this enduring symbol of spotlessness never did any actual cleaning of his own until 2008, when a new series of ads depicted him scrubbing kitchen appliances with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Character Study is an ongoing series featuring background trivia on the classic advertising characters from the private collection of MLT Creative.
Chase Mitchell is a copywriter at MLT Creative, an Atlanta-based advertising agency specializing in business-to-business marketing.
Probably one of the more violent characters we’ve covered here, this Hawaiian Punch mascot has been pulling his cruel switcheroo on unsuspecting victims ever since his creation by cartoonist Joe Malerba in 1962.
The scenario usually goes something like this:
Punchy: “How about a nice Hawaiian Punch?”
Innocent Thirsty Guy: “Sure!”
Punchy: *DEVASTATING UPPERCUT FOR NO REASON*
Innocent Thirsty Guy: *Needs medical attention and will never trust strangers again*
But despite being kind of a jerk, not to mention having questionable taste in headwear (unless those are… antlers?), Punchy quickly became an iconic '60s and '70s ad character, helping a drink that was originally conceived as an ice cream topping (it’s true!) grow into a classic kid-friendly beverage brand with 14 fruity flavors and counting.
And while Punchy’s not above throwing a stray right cross at an undeserving face now and then, these days he’s a kinder, gentler soul who’s more or less retired his pugilistic ways. He still hasn’t given up on that hat, though.
Here's one of the classic spots:
Character Study is an ongoing series featuring background trivia on the classic advertising characters from the private collection of MLT Creative.
Chase Mitchell is a copywriter at MLT Creative, an Atlanta-based advertising agency specializing in business-to-business marketing.
This member of MLT Creative's collection of vintage ad mascots is the seafaring spokesman for Cracker Jack, a classic caramel confection with a rich (and crunchy, and sticky) American history that dates back to 1893, at the first World's Fair in Chicago.
Cracker Jack's inherent portability made it a perfect stadium snack, and soon it became synonymous with a certain national pastime - especially during the seventh-inning stretch.
Jack himself wasn't introduced until 1918, but with his distinctive nautical duds, friendly salute and, uh, wide stance, he quickly became the brand's most recognizable emblem - along with his canine companion, Bingo.
Now owned by Frito Lay, Cracker Jack has changed with the times, adding new flavors, like Butter Toffee, and even a website. But Jack and Bingo are still emblazoned on every box and, as a testament to the characters' enduring popularity, the traditional sailor's uniform of the U.S. Navy is now colloquially referred to as "the Cracker Jack."
Character Study is an ongoing series featuring background trivia on the classic advertising characters from the private collection of MLT Creative.
Chase Mitchell is a copywriter at MLT Creative, an Atlanta-based advertising agency specializing in business-to-business marketing.
Poor Michelin Man. No matter how much he exercises, he'll never get rid of that spare tire. He's also getting up there in years. Cr
eated by French artist O'Galop way, way back in 1894, he's actually one of the first known advertising characters in the world, and ranks among the likes of the Quaker Oats Pilgrim and Aunt Jemima as one of the oldest still in use.
Did you know he has a name? It's Bib. He started out as Bibendum, and in his first incarnation he looked more like a mummy with a monacle than a husky stack of tires. (In 1894, the Michelin brothers primarily sold bicycle tires — hence the thinner-looking rings.) In tho
se days — and this is something Michelin would probably like to forget — he was a cheerful, wine-guzzling fellow who had a way with women and was known as... The Road Drunkard. (Yes, really.)
During the rise of the automobile, Bib got a motorcar-tire makeover and ditched the drinking, as well as the bourgeoisie eyewear. Now, after more than a century of dedicated service, the Michelin Man is one of the world's most recognized brand mascots, representing the tire manufacturer in more than 150 countries.
Character Study is an ongoing series featuring background trivia on the classic advertising characters from the private collection of MLT Creative.
Chase Mitchell is a copywriter at MLT Creative, an Atlanta-based advertising agency specializing in business-to-business marketing.
Much as Marilyn Monroe was once Norma Jean Mortenson, and Cary Grant began life as Archibald Leach, famed ad character Speedy Alka Seltzer was born under a much less memorable moniker.
When Robert Watkins first sketched the miniature mascot for Wade Ad Agency in 1952, he called him "Sparky" — that is, until the name was amended to promote the idea of "speedy relief."
Rather than 
merely "representing" the brand, Speedy literally IS Alka Seltzer. His torso is one oversized tablet, while another sits atop his head as a sort of effervescent hat. The pint-sized pitchman popped up in magazine ads throughout the early 1950s, but didn't truly become an icon until Alka Seltzer brought an animated Speedy (voiced by actor Dick Beals) into people's homes via a long-running series of stop-motion TV spots. It didn't hurt that his "Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz" jingle became stuck in everyone's head almost immediately.
From 1953-1964, Speedy went on to appear in 212 commercials. He eventually acheived fame on an international scale, and was known as "Prontito" in Spanish-speaking countries.
Character Study is an ongoing series featuring background trivia on the classic advertising characters from the private collection of MLT Creative.
Chase Mitchell is a copywriter at MLT Creative, an Atlanta-based advertising agency specializing in business-to-business marketing.
Though MLT Creative is a B2B marketing agency, we also have a passion for advertising in general, and an endless fascination with the industry’s history. That’s why our offices are home to hundreds of classic advertising characters, in figurines of plastic, porcelain, metal and clay. Some of these brand mascots are relics of a bygone era, while some endure to this day, but each of them has a story. And every week, I’ll take a closer look at one.
So be sure to check out our collection, and if there’s one you’re curious about (many are rare — some even bizarre), don’t hesitate to mention it in the comments or an email, and I’ll feature it another week.
This Week's Character Study: The Jolly Green Giant
Santa Claus isn't the only figure who's famous for bellowing "Ho, Ho, Ho" — though your kids might not be as thrilled to get gifts from this vegetable-pushing pitchman.
Created by Leo Burnett in 1928, The Jolly Green Giant has 
remained the symbol of the Green Giant food company ever since. He maintains a friendly demeanor despite his monsterous size, and is always decked out in his trademark duds: a leafy, jumbo-sized tunic, wreath and boots that match his emerald hue. He was voiced in his earliest stop-motion incarnation by jazz singer Len Dresslar, and later portrayed in live action form by Olympic athlete Keith R. Wegeman.
Over the decades, he's been name-dropped by everyone from Johnny Carson to the Ghostbusters, and has become such a beloved character that the town of Blue Earth, Minnesota erected a 55-foot-tall statue of him, which towers over the highway to this day.
Character Study is an ongoing series featuring background trivia on the classic advertising characters from the private collection of MLT Creative.
Chase Mitchell is a copywriter at MLT Creative, an Atlanta-based advertising agency specializing in business-to-business marketing.