We Talk to Spuds MacKenzie, Mayor McCheese, and Other Retired Advertising Mascots
Mascots of Yesteryear Share Inside Stories of Some of Your Favorite Brands
Just the other day, I was thinking, What ever happened to the Arby’s Oven Mitt? Well, not really, but now I am, and so are you. If there is anything that we Americans desperately need, it’s to be entertained. We need to keep the boredom at bay. So even in our advertisements, we crave humor, enjoyment, and silliness.
From cereal to beer to fast food to cigarettes, these brand representatives are some of advertising’s most memorable.
With this thought, I took it upon myself to fictionally sit down with Mikey, Mayor McCheese, Quisp (I do miss that guy), and other advertising characters from the past to get their thoughts and to see what they have been up to.
Advertising Characters Unite
It is my pleasure to facilitate this discussion with Arby’s Oven Mitt, Spuds MacKenzie (who worked for Budweiser), the Budweiser frogs, Joe Camel, Mother Nature (Chiffon margarine), Mikey (Life cereal), Hamburglar (McDonald’s), Grimace (McDonald’s), Mayor McCheese (McDonald’s), Milton the Toaster (Pop-Tarts), and Quisp (Quisp cereal).
Quisp, let me start with you. What was it like trying to differentiate your sugary cereal from the other sugary cereals?
“Seriously? It was rough. I won’t lie. I was going against real titans of the cereal world, Cap’n Crunch, Boo Berry, Tony the Tiger, that insufferable leprechaun. But the thing that really motivated me was the art, you know? Granted, my animation was simplistic, but there was complexity to our message. This stemmed from the fact that I was created by Jay Ward, the master animator behind Rocky and Bullwinkle. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think we were doing Chekhov or anything, but we felt like we were doing more than merely pushing sugar and corn. We were striving for something lasting, like Mikey achieved.”
Mikey, what are your thoughts on that comment?
“Well, I like it. I’m proud that the Life cereal commercial ran for 14 years. But you know, all those years of eating Life and I never found a single toy in the box? Where was my spinning top, airplane, or set of tattoos? I mean, I was a kid, for crying out loud, working for scale. But looking back at that spot, I do feel that I was at my zenith as a child actor, which, in retrospect, is a bit sad. Hmm, I don’t like that.”
The Mascots That Made Us Crave Fast Food
Speaking of acting, Arby’s Oven Mitt, your range was pretty uncanny for what many would consider nothing more than a glorified potholder. I can remember one commercial in which you sang.
“I was really fortunate to work with Arby’s. At the audition for the commercial, it was down to me and a dish towel, but what put me over the top was my opposable thumb. Think about it. The opposable thumb helped build civilization and it helped me land what is pretty much the ultimate job for an oven mitt. We always knew that we weren’t going to keep up with McDonaldland, but for second-tier fast food that is mostly beige in color, you absolutely cannot beat Arby’s. Have I spent the latter part of my career in a drawer? Yes. Would I trade the glory I received for pushing beef ’n’ provolone and fish sandwiches? Never. Heck, I almost got to meet Barry White!”
Ah, McDonaldland, the intersection of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and a Salvador Dali painting. Sure, you had Ronald McDonald, but you also had a cast that included Hamburglar — whose given name was Hamilton B. Urglar — Grimace, and Mayor McCheese, three of the most famous characters to ever push fast food.
Hamburglar, you first. Of course you were famous for stealing hamburgers, but why just McDonald’s? Didn’t you crave all burgers?
“Great question. You have to understand that, at the time, I was under contract. Of course, Five Guys — those are delicious burgers, by the way — wasn’t around yet, but I can tell you that a day didn’t go by that I didn’t think about nabbing a burger from In-N-Out, but I was already on parole, for lifting a Fatburger, and I didn’t want that on my record — and I didn’t want to jeopardize what I had going with McDonald’s.”
And outrageous is something that comes to mind when one thinks of Mayor McCheese.
Grimace, what are your thoughts about those wild times in the ’70s?
“Things were very rough for me. First of all, there was the weight issue. So to constantly be surrounded by all those burgers and fries — it was very difficult. I wanted to see the character go in a different direction, to be more svelte and health-conscious, but it just wasn’t in the cards. I was continually pressured to keep eating, and all that salt and sugar got to me. Have you seen Super Size Me? And then, of course, there was the purple fur. Of all the colors they could have gone with, they had to choose the most outrageous one? And in retrospect, I’m not even remembered as the most popular purple children’s figure. No, Barney had to ruin that for me.”
“Ronald McDonald. He always was corporate’s favorite.”
And outrageous is something that comes to mind when one thinks of Mayor McCheese. The de facto leader of McDonaldland, Mayor McCheese found himself and his fiefdom embroiled in high-profile lawsuits in the ’70s. McDonaldland, for one, was seen by Sid and Marty Krofft as a “copyright infringement” on their show H.R. Pufnstuf. Mayor McCheese himself was drawn into the fray when the Kroffts claimed he “was a direct rip-off of their character H.R. Pufnstuf,” who, by the way, was also a mayor. The Kroffts won a jury trial and then won in appeals court. Damages assessed? Try $1,000,000. Mayor McCheese was able to hang on in the business until 1985, but since then he hasn’t really been heard from, until now.
Mayor, I’m assuming that the lawsuit was a very difficult time for you.
“That’s one way to put it. I was dragged through the fryer during that time. I never appreciated the comparison to H.R. Pufnstuf. Pufnstuf was a dragon! I am a cheeseburger! The fact that we were both mayors of fantasy worlds was completely coincidental! I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me in the past forty years and said, ‘Pufnstuf? I just don’t see it.’ And what really hurt was that the residents of McDonaldland just grew apart. We had nothing bonding us anymore. Remember the Gobblins? I used to have them over to my house every Friday night for fries — we called it Fryday. And Officer Big Mac [who declined our request for an interview]? I don’t even know what happened to him, which is a shame because we worked on so much legislation together to make McDonaldland the best fantasy world possible. But who, of course, came out smelling like a fresh apple pie? Ronald McDonald. Give me a break. He always was corporate’s favorite.” (McCheese, visibly shaken, stubs out his cigarette and wipes away a tear.)
Beer and Cigarettes — the Classic Commercials
Obviously, those were some dark times for those McDonaldland denizens. Let’s try to lighten the mood a bit and get a feel for advertising in the late ’80s, with Bud Light’s Spuds MacKenzie.
Spuds, it’s a treat — no, you’re not getting a treat — to have you here. Can you tell me your impressions of some of those wild days as the Bud Light representative?
“Yeah, what I can remember, man. Those were some crazy times. It was an endless party with brews and babes. I debuted in a commercial during the Super Bowl in 1987, dude. Can you think of a bigger coming-out party for a spokesdog? I would go to the dog conventions, and the line to get my paw print would circle around the arena. Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Nipper from RCA, I was bigger than all of them, man. There were T-shirts with my image on them and stuffed animals that looked like me. I played the drums. I played the piano. I pole-vaulted! Would I do it again? You bet! Am I glad to be retired? Well, yes. Why? Two words: hip dysplasia.”
Would you believe that one of the most popular commercials (which also debuted during a Super Bowl) of all time took place in a swamp? That’s where we first met the Budweiser frogs, Bud, Weis, and Er.
Bud, was there immediate chemistry between the three of you?
“Bud. Bud. Bud. Just kidding! That joke never gets old. Yes, we hit it off right away. There was some arguing about who was going to get the biggest lily pad, but to tell the truth, working with Weis and Er was the best professional experience of my life. And let’s face it, it’s not like we had to show a lot of range. It’s what we do, hang out in a swamp!”
Weis, do you feel the same?
“Weis. Weis. Weis. Sorry, it’s just that it’s been so long since we have been together, and old habits are hard to break. Yes, I do feel the same as Bud. I think Er and I were a bit intimidated by Bud at first, simply because he was Bud. Theoretically, he could have just croaked, ‘Bud,’ and the spot would have been successful, as the meaning still would have come across. But by adding Er and me — actually me and Er, because that’s the only way it works — it really tied everything together. And Bud could not have been more magnanimous. Budweiser was going to pay him more because of his name, but he insisted that we all get an equal amount of flies. I’ll never forget that, Bud.”
Er, thoughts?
“Well, oh, I forgot to ‘Er.’ Regardless, I would like to say that I have fond memories of that swamp. We had never acted together, and the entire script just came together after a few minor stumbles. I remember in the beginning that we accidentally croaked “Er-bud-weis,” but mistakes like that were few and far between, and we were able to give the director several usable takes in no time. I have pretty much left the public life, but whenever I am out at something, like a jumping contest, it is nice to be recognized and to interact with the fans. And they are always surprised to discover that we speak. They thought we were monosyllabic!”
“Stay in school, kids! Don’t smoke!”
From alcohol to cigarettes, it’s time to catch up with Joe Camel.
Joe, you were portrayed as being fun, entertaining, and somewhat debonair (you wore a tux in some spots). What are your memories of pushing the tobacco?
“Well, I think you can add phlegmatic to the list of descriptors. Do you know how many nonfilters I went through during my decade of being the Camel mascot? [Joe takes time to hack and wheeze.] At the time, I didn’t think about the damage I was doing to myself. It was the ’80s and I was having a good time. But in retrospect, I wish I could turn back the clock, not only to repair the damage I have done to my own health but also to reverse the impact I had on young smokers. I never thought anyone would pay attention to a camel that smokes! I wasn’t a ‘smooth character’ and nothing good comes from lighting up. [Joe takes a hit of his ever-present oxygen tank.] Why in the world would anyone think a camel would be a smooth character? Sure, if you need to ride through the desert, we can help you out. But to emulate our smoking habits?! Never! Stay in school, kids! Don’t smoke!”
A Couple of Oldies from the 1970s
Someone who knows a thing or two about the ways of the world is Mother Nature, who represented Chiffon Margarine in the ’70s.
Mother Nature, butter or margarine?
“Butter or margarine? Seriously? That’s all you got? Every week it’s something different. Eggs? Yes. Eggs? No. Butter? Yes. Butter? No. Who can keep up? The real question is, Earth or not? No, wait. The real question is, humanity or not? You people are throwing plastic into the oceans like it’s a competition. You are belching unimaginable amounts of filth into the sky. And here’s the thing, while it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature, it’s really not nice to fool yourselves. I will be here always, in one form or another. But if you humans keep polluting and denying science and the existence of climate change, well, where will you go when the planet resembles Waterworld? So butter? Sure. Margarine? Sure. But just be sure to recycle and look out for the Earth — and yourselves.”
Definitely words to consider. Thank you, Mother Nature. I want to move along now to one of the greatest mechanical brand representatives ever, Milton the Toaster, who did commercials for Pop-Tarts in the ’70s.
Milton, what do you remember about those days?
“First of all, my job was easy. After all, who doesn’t like Pop-Tarts? When I got the job, it was a wonderful chance for me to diversify. Up to that point, I had been doing virtually nothing beyond making toast. Oh, sure, there was the occasional English muffin or bagel, but the work was all so elementary. I wanted to expand my horizons, and, boy, did I ever! I had graduated from white-bread toast to cherry, strawberry, raspberry, and s’mores Pop-Tarts, just to name a few of the delicious flavors. Maybe they are full of sugar and have virtually no nutritional benefit. Maybe they can be classified as junk food. But, but — wait, where was I going with this?”
We’ve All Been Influenced
So there you have it. From cereal to beer to fast food to cigarettes (hey, most of these things aren’t good for us), these brand representatives are some of advertising’s most memorable. They’ve made us laugh. They’ve made us think. They’ve made us drink too much. They’ve made us gain weight. Ah, never mind.
Photos: Shutterstock, Pinterest, Google Images
Originally published at www.brittonmdg.com.
