Mascots, Logos, and Icons

Most fast food chains and many junk food manufacturers have adopted mascots. Among the first food mascots was the Big Boy, a plump boy with red-and white-checked overalls with the words “Big Boy” spread across his chest. He carries a large, triple-decker hamburger, and 12-foot statues of the Big Boy are erected in front of each restaurant in the Big Boy chain.
Burger King developed a little Burger King attired in a royal robe and crown. It stopped using that mascot for a while, but revived it later. The chain regularly gives out paper crowns to children so that they, too, can be a king. Little Caesar’s Pizza created a Little Caesar mascot. McDonald’s first mascot was Speedee, a little chef with a hamburger head. This had to be changed because Alka Seltzer had already adopted a mascot named Speedy. McDonald’s settled on Ronald McDonald and today about 96 percent of American children recognize him.
Not all mascots and icons have been successful, however. Taco Bell initially had a sleepy Mexican wearing a sombrero. When PepsiCo acquired Taco Bell, it jettisoned the existing icon and replaced it with a mission bell. Pizza Hut had its Italian chef tossing dough but it was considered “too Italian” by PepsiCo, which had acquired the chain, and the company shifted to a red roof that symbolized the “hut” in Pizza Hut. Frito-Lay, Inc. launched the Frito Bandito, only to be charged with ethnic stereotyping; the symbol was soon shelved.
Unusual mascots have been developed by Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). In the case of Taco Bell, a massive television advertising campaign starred a talking Mexican Chihuahua, who squealed
“Yo Quiero Taco Bell!” In the case of KFC, the mascot was based on a real person, the founder of the chain, Harland Sanders. When he started franchising his chicken, he had no money to advertise, so he dressed in a white suit and black string tie and called himself a Colonel (he was, in fact, an honorary Colonel). His image graces KFC paperware, posters, advertisements, and commercials.
In the snack food world, in 1969 Keebler came up with Ernie Keebler and the Elves who bake snacks in the Hollow Tree in the fictional community of Sylvan Glen.
For M&M’s, Mars, Inc. developed Mr. Peanut and Mr. Plain. Planters Peanuts developed its own Mr. Peanut and McKee Foods created Little Debbie.