This is a list of notable nationally exposed mascots and characters created specifically for advertising purposes, listed alphabetically by the product they represent.
| Product | Character | Years used | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&W Root Beer | The Great Root Bear | debuted 1974 | |
| AFLAC insurance | the AFLAC duck | 2000–present | voiced by Gilbert Gottfried until 2011, when he was fired for making offensive comments about the earthquake in Japan that happened early that year. The duck is now voiced by Daniel McKeague. |
| Ajax cleanser | the Ajax pixies | 1948–1950s | Speaking voices are Joe Silver, Hans Conreid and June Foray |
| Ajax detergent | the White Knight | debuted 1963 | |
| Alka-Seltzer | Speedy Alka-Seltzer | 1952–1964,2010-present | voiced by Dick Beals |
| Allstate insurance | Mayhem | 2010–present | Actor Dean Winters |
| Ally Bank | Bank Executive (aka focus group marketer) | 2009–present | "Candid Camera"-type setting; Tricks real unsuspecting children with offers and leaves them hurt or upset after adding rules and fees. Played by RJ Kelly. |
| AMC Theatres | Clip | 1991-present | figure made out of discarded movie film who appears in the 'coming attractions' and 'feature presentation' trailers seen at AMC movie theaters. |
| American Tourister luggage | luggage-mauling gorilla | 1970–1980s | |
| Ameritrade brokerage firm | Stuart | 1999 | known for quotes like "Let's light this candle!" played by Michael C. Maronna |
| Anderson's Soup | the Anderson's Soup "non-identical twins," Happy and Pee-Wee | debuted 1957 | voiced by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding |
| Arby's restaurants | Oven Mitt | 2003–2006 | voiced by Tom Arnold |
| Ask.com | Jeeves | 1996–2006 | |
| Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup | Aunt Jemima | 1893–present | |
| Bacardi Rum | Bacardi & Cola | 2003 | |
| Bardahl engine additive | Dirty Sludge, Sticky Valve, Gummy Ring, Blackie Carbon | 1953 | |
| Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers | Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes | 1985–1991 | Played by David Joseph Rufkahr (Bartles) and Dick Maugg (Jaymes) |
| Big Boy restaurants | Big Boy | live-action spots in the 1970s by Jonathan Winters | |
| Bonny Maid floor cover products | the Bonny Maid | 1949–1950 | played by Anne Francis |
| Boo Berry cereal | Boo Berry | 1972–present | |
| Borden | Elsie the cow | 1938–present | |
| Boubin Auto shop | Boubin Bear | late 1980s–present | A large bear wearing a hat, vest, and jeans. He holds his jeans up and tips his hat while saying "It's the bear facts, folks!" Voiced by Andy Aasgaard. |
| Bounty paper towels | Rosie the waitress | 1970–1990 | played by Nancy Walker |
| BP Connect Gas Stations | The "A Little Better Gas Station" Crew | 2007–Present | Plays to the song LA By Message Of The Blues |
| Bubble Yum bubble gum | Floyd D. Duck | ||
| Bud Ice beer | Bud Ice penguin | 1996 | Known for ominously singing "Doo-be-doo-be-doo..." |
| Bud Light beer | Spuds MacKenzie | 1987–1989 | |
| Bud Light beer | Johnny, the Bud Light guy | 1995 | Known for catchphrase "I love you, ma-a-a-n!"; played by Rob Roy Fitzgerald |
| Budweiser beer | Budweiser Frogs | 1990s | One frog says "Bud," another says "weis," and a third says "er." This is often repeated throughout the company's ads, in that order. |
| Budweiser beer | Frank and Louie, lizards | 1998 | The main adversaries to the Budweiser frogs. |
| Budweiser beer | Budweiser Clydesdales | 1930s-present | Usually pulling a hitch of Budweiser with a Dalmatian riding in it. Also appear playing football against each other. |
| Burger Chef restaurants | Burger Chef and Jeff | 1954–1996 | |
| Burger King restaurants | The Burger King | 1974–1990, 2004–2011 | |
| Burger King restaurants | Herb | 1985 | played by John Merrick |
| Burger King restaurants | Fighting chickens Spicy and TC | 2004 | |
| Bush's baked beans | Duke the Dog | 1993–present | Jay Bush's canine companion who always tries to sell his owner's secret recipe; voiced by Robert Cait |
| Buster Brown shoes | Buster Brown and his dog Tige | 1904–present | live-action spots by Jerry Marin |
| California Raisin Advisory Board | the California Raisins | debuted 1987 | Singin' dancin' California Raisins. |
| Camel cigarettes | Joe Camel | 1987–1997 | |
| Campbell's Soup | the Campbell's Soup kids | debuted 1904 | |
| Capital One | Mr. No | 2000s | played by David Spade |
| Cap'n Crunch cereal | Cap'n Crunch | 1963–present | Created by Jay Ward Productions; originally voiced by Daws Butler |
| Carling Black Label beer | Mabel the waitress | 1950s | played by Jean Goodspeed (1951 through mid-1950s) |
| Carl's Jr. restaurants | the Carl's Jr. Star | 1960s–present | has become West-Coast counterpart of Hardee's |
| Charmin bathroom tissue | Mr. Whipple | 1965–1989 | played by Dick Wilson |
| Chef Boyardee canned pastas | Chef Boyardee | based on company founder Hector Boiardi | |
| Cheetos snacks | Chester Cheetah | 1986–present | voiced by Pete Stacker |
| Chevron (Standard Oil of California) | Hy Finn | debuted 1958 | voiced by Paul Ford |
| Chevron | the Chevron Cars | 1995–present | |
| Chick-fil-A | the Chick-fil-A cows | 1995–present | known for the catchphrase "Eat Mor Chikin" (sic) |
| Chicken of the Sea tuna | Chicken of the Sea mermaid | 1952–present | voiced by Darla Hood in TV commercials |
| Chiffon Margarine | Mother Nature | 1970s-1980s | Best known for catchphrase "Its Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature!" Played by Dena Dietrich; Voice-over by Mason Adams |
| Chiquita bananas | Miss Chiquita Banana | 1944–present | |
| Chuck E. Cheese restaurants | Chuck E. Cheese | 1977–present | voiced by Duncan Brannan until 2012 when he was replaced by Jaret Reddick (due to the re-vamp of Chuck E.) however Brannan's voice is still used for Chuck E Cheese Animatronic and music video shows (in studio C), that are shown inside the restaurants. |
| Cinemark movie theaters | Front Row Joe | 1988-1999, 2004-present | animated cat; sidekicks over the years have included Starstruck Penny (originally Popcorn Penny) and Clyde |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal | Wendell, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch chef | ||
| Cisco Systems | The 'citizens' of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia | 2010–present | fictionalized version of the real town as visited by Canadian actress Ellen Page, a native Nova Scotian |
| Cocoa Puffs cereal | Sonny the Cuckoo Bird | 1960s–present | originally voiced by Chuck McCann |
| Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles | Flintstones characters | 1970–Present | |
| Columbia Pictures | the Columbia Torch Lady | 1924–present | |
| Comet cleanser | Josephine the plumber | 1960s–1970s | played by Jane Withers |
| Comcast | The Slowskys | 1997–present | A pair of turtles (living as a married couple in the suburbs) who favor DSL over High Speed internet; voiced by Andrew Donnelly and Rachael Harris; inspired Shaw Communications' The Snailskis in Canada. |
| Condomman.com | Condom Man | 2003–present | |
| Cookie Crisp cereal | Cookie Jarvis | 1970s | |
| Cookie Crisp cereal | Officer Krum, Cookie Crisp Crook, and Chip the Cookie Hound | 1990s | |
| Cookie Crisp cereal | Chip the Wolf | 2005–present | |
| Cool Whip dessert topping | Sarah Tucker | 1960s | played by Marge Redmond |
| Coors Light beer | Coors Light Twins | played by Diane and Elaine Klimaszewski | |
| Coppertone sun-care products | the Coppertone Girl | 1944–present | |
| Corn Flakes cereal | Cornelius the rooster | Originally voiced by Dallas McKennon, voiced in 1960s by Andy Devine | |
| Count Chocula cereal | Count Chocula | 1971–present | |
| Cracker Jack | Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo | 1918–present | |
| Cream of Wheat hot cereal | Rastus the Cook | 1890–present | Believed to be from a photograph of Frank L. White, a Chicago chef who reportedly was paid five dollars to pose in a chef's hat and jacket. |
| Crest toothpaste | Arthur Goodwin, pharmacist | 1970s | played by Arthur O'Connell |
| Dell computers | Steven Jackson | 2000–2003 | known for quotes like "Dude, you got a Dell"; played by Benjamin Curtis |
| Diet Coke | Diet Coke hunk | 1990s | played by Lucky Vanous |
| Discover Card | Peggy | 2009–present | Actually, "Peggy" is a bearded guy with a foreign accent (Romanian) who works at "USA Prime Credit," a sham credit company located in a unknown frozen location who preys on its customers trying to get information on their credit cards. Played by Romanian-American actor Tudor Petrut. |
| Dish Network | The Hopper family | 2012–present | The Boston-area family pronounces it "Hoppa." |
| Ditech | Ned the Banker | 2002–2006 | Played by Ron Michaelson; shouts the catch phrase "Lost another loan to Ditech!" Now the mascot for CashCall Mortgage |
| Domino's Pizza | The Noid | 1980s–1990s | voiced by Pons Maar |
| Doublemint chewing gum | Doublemint Twins | ||
| Dos Equis | The Most Interesting Man in the World | 2006-Present | Played by Jonathan Goldsmith |
| Dreyfus investments | Major, the Dreyfus lion | debuted 1960s | |
| Dunkin' Donuts | Fred the baker | 1981–1997 | known for quote "Time to make the donuts"; played by Michael Vale |
| Duracell batteries | The Puttermans | 1990s | |
| Dutch Boy Paint | the Dutch boy | 1907–present | |
| Energizer batteries | Jacko | late-1980s | known for catchphrase "Oi!"; played by Australian footballer Mark 'Jacko' Jackson; |
| Energizer batteries | Energizer Bunny | 1989–present | |
| Esso/Exxon | the Esso tiger/the Exxon tiger | debuted 1964 | See ExxonMobil website |
| Esurance | Erin Esurance | 2004–present | Animated super-spy |
| Eveready batteries | Eveready "9 lives" cat | debuted c. 1920s–1930s | |
| Fanta (US only) | Fantanas | 2002–present | Fictional spokesmodels; sings musical catchphrase "Don'cha Wanna, Wanta Fanta!" Four incarnations since its debut |
| Federal Express | Mr. Spleen, fast-talking executive | 1982 | played by John Moschitta, Jr. |
| Florida Citrus Commission | Florida Orange Bird | 1970s | created by Walt Disney Productions |
| Flying "A" service stations | Axelrod the dog | 1960s | |
| Ford auto | the Ford dog | debuted 1952 | |
| Franken Berry cereal | Franken Berry | 1971–present | |
| Frank's Red Hot Sauce | Ethel the cook | 2011–present | Elderly woman who uses the catchphrase "I Put That S*** on Everything!" in front of the people who taste her food after basting it with the sauce. |
| FreeCreditReport.com | the FreeCreditReport band Victorious Secrets |
2006–2010; 2012-present (former) 2010–present (latter) |
The lead singer in the FCR band was played by French-Canadian actor-singer Eric Violette. Violette's singing voice was lip-synced by another singer because of Violette's thick Francophone accent. In 2010 the group Victorious Secrets won a contest to replace the faux band in a new series of ads. In 2012 the faux band returned in a new series of ads. |
| Frito-Lay snacks | Frito Bandito | 1960s | voiced by Mel Blanc |
| Frito-Lay snacks | the Frito Spokesbag | 2012–present | |
| Fruit Stripe chewing gum | Yipes, the Fruit Stripe Zebra | 1962–present | |
| GEICO | the Geico gecko | 1999–present | voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Dave Kelly, Richard Steven Horvitz, Jake Wood, and others |
| GEICO | the GEICO Cavemen | 2004–present | played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ben Weber, John Lehr, and Ben Wilson |
| General Mills | Betty Crocker | 1921–present | |
| Gerber baby products | the Gerber baby | 1927–present | sketched by Dorothy Hope Smith, depicts four-month-old neighbor Ann Turner |
| Gillette Blue Blade razors | Sharpie the parrot | 1952–1960 | |
| Gold Dust Washing Powder | The Gold Dust Twins | 1880s - 1940s | |
| Good & Plenty candy | Choo-Choo Charlie | 1950–1960s | |
| Granny Goose snacks | Granny Goose | ||
| Green Giant vegetables | Jolly Green Giant | 1928–present | Originally voiced by Herschel Bernardi; has been done recently by Len Carlson |
| Green Giant vegetables | Little Green Sprout | ||
| Hamburger Helper | the Helping Hand | debuted 1977 | voiced by Patrick Coyle |
| Hamm's Beer | Hamm's Beer bear | debuted 1952 | |
| Hardee's restaurants | the Hardee's Star | debuted 1997 | |
| The Hartford insurance | the Hartford Elk | debuted 1974 | |
| Hawaiian Punch | Punchy (the Hawaiian Punch Guy), and Oaf/Opie | debuted 1961 | |
| Honda | Mr. Opportunity | 2004–2011 | |
| Honey Nut Cheerios cereal | BuzzBee the bee | Originally voiced by Arnold Stang | |
| Hotpoint home appliances | Happy Hotpoint | debuted 1955 | played by Mary Tyler Moore |
| Hubba Bubba bubble gum | the Hubba-Bubba Gum Fighter | debuted 1979 | |
| ICEE frozen drinks | ICEE Polar Bear | ||
| Ipana toothpaste | Bucky Beaver | 1957–1959 | voiced by Jimmie Dodd |
| Isuzu auto | Joe Isuzu | 1986–1990 | played by David Leisure |
| Italian Swiss Colony wine | Little old winemaker | 1960s | played by Ludwig Stossel, voiced by Jim Backus |
| Jack in the Box restaurants | Jack, the ping-pong-ball-headed man | ||
| Jax Beer | Elephant and Bartender | Late 1950s and early 1960s | voiced by Mike Nichols and Elaine May |
| Jell-O gelatin | Chinese baby | debuted 1959 | voiced by Allen Swift |
| Jelly Belly jelly beans | Mr. Jelly Belly | 1996–present | |
| Keds shoes | Kedso the Clown | ||
| Keds shoes | Kolonel Keds | ||
| Keebler snacks | Ernie Keebler and the Keebler elves | 1968–present | Ernie voiced by Parley Baer for many years |
| Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal | Cinnamon & Apple | mid 2000s-present | |
| Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal | Toucan Sam | 1952–present | voiced by Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Maurice LaMarche |
| Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal | Tony the Tiger | voiced by Dal McKennon, Thurl Ravenscroft and now Lee Marshall | |
| Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal | Dig 'Em Frog | 1972–1986, 1987–present | originally voiced by Howard Morris |
| Kellogg's Pop-Tarts | Milton the Toaster | 1970s–1980s | voiced by William Schallert |
| Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal | Sunny the sun | 1966–present | originally voiced by Daws Butler |
| Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal | Snap, Crackle and Pop | 1928–present | |
| Kellogg's Sugar Pops cereal | Sugar Pops Pete | 1950s | |
| KFC restaurants | Colonel Sanders | Col. Harland Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually became its mascot; a later cartoon version was voiced by Randy Quaid. | |
| Kia Soul | Hip-Hop Hamsters | 2010–present | lip-synchs to Black Sheep's 1992 single "The Choice Is Yours" |
| Kid Cuisine meals | K.C. Penguin | ||
| Kleenex table napkins | Manners the butler | 1957–1950s | played by Richard Cutting |
| Kool cigarettes | Willie the Kool penguin | debuted 1930s | Has a wife named Millie |
| Kool-Aid drink mixes | Kool-Aid Man | 1975–present | |
| Kraft Macaroni & Cheese | Cheesasaurus Rex | ||
| Kraft Singles cheese | Dairy Fairy | debuted 1980s | |
| Lee Jeans | Buddy Lee doll | 1998–present | based on the doll who debuted in 1921 |
| Life cereal | Little Mikey, the freckled-face kid | 1972–1981 | played by John Gilchrist |
| Little Caesars pizza | Little Caesar | ||
| Lucky Charms cereal | Lucky the Leprechaun | 1964–present | originally voiced by Arthur Anderson |
| M&M's candy | Red and Yellow M&M's characters | 1960s–present | Originally voiced by Don Messick and Stan Freberg now voiced by Billy West and J.K. Simmons, respectively |
| M&M's candy | Blue and Green M&M's characters | 1996–present (Blue),1997–Present (Green) | Blue originally voiced by Phil Hartman now Rob Pruitt; Green voiced by Cree Summer |
| M&M's candy | Orange M&M's character | 1998–present | Voiced by Eric Kricberger |
| Mad magazine | Alfred E. Neuman | 1954–present | |
| Malt-O-Meal cereal | Cool Blue and Li'l Oaty | 1998–present | |
| Marlboro cigarettes | the Marlboro Man | debuted 1954 | |
| Mattel toys | Matty Mattel and Sisterbelle | 1959–1962 | |
| Maypo | Marky Maypo | 1956–present | created by Storyboard, Inc. (John Hubley) |
| Maytag home appliances | Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman | debuted 1967 | played by Jesse White (1967–1988), Gordon Jump (1988–2003), Hardy Rawls (2003–present) |
| The McClatchy Company | Scoopy, Gabby and TeeVee, The McClatchy Bees | 1943–present | Created by Walt Disney Productions; Scoopy is the mascot for the Sacramento Bee, Modesto Bee and Fresno Bee newspapers; Gabby was the radio mascot for McClatchy's former radio stations and TeeVee was the television mascots of now CBS O&O KOVR-TV/Sacramento and Granite's NBC affiliate KMJ-TV (now KSEE-TV)/Fresno. |
| McDonald's restaurants | Ronald McDonald | 1959–present | originally played in Washington, D.C. by Willard Scott |
| McDonald's restaurants | Mac Tonight | 1986–1997 | played by Doug Jones |
| Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii | Lani Moo | 1949–present | Name was selected in a contest sponsored by its predecessor Dairymen's Association |
| Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii | The Izard of Pog; Pogolyte | 1971–present | Mascots for Meadow Gold Hawaii's POG drinks |
| Meow Mix cat food | Meow Mix Cat | 1972–present | |
| Merrill Lynch | Merrill the bull | ||
| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Leo the lion | 1924–present | based on the Goldwyn Company mascot, 1917–24 |
| Miller Lite beer | The Miller Lite Beer Refs | 2004–present | |
| Mobil | the Mobil Pegasus | 1911–present | |
| Morton Salt | the Morton Salt Girl | 1914–present | |
| Mr. Clean cleaning products | Mr. Clean | 1958–present | first live-action Mr. Clean played by House Peters, Jr. |
| Mrs. Butterworth's syrup | Mrs. Butterworth | ||
| MTM Enterprises | Mimsie the kitten] | 1970–1998 | |
| National Crime Prevention Council | McGruff the Crime Dog | 1978–present | |
| National Federation of Coffee Growers | Juan Valdez | 1959–present | played by José F. Duval (1959–1969, Carlos Sánchez (1969–present) |
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Vince and Larry, the crash test dummies | 1985–1999 | voiced by Jack Burns and Lorenzo Music, respectively |
| NBC | NBC peacock | 1956–1975, 1979–present | First appeared in 1956. Debuted as animated logo in 1957. |
| Nestlé Quik | Farfel the Dog | 1953–1965 | played by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson |
| Nestlé Quik/NesQuik | the Quik Bunny/NesQuik Bunny | 1973–present | voiced by Barry Gordon |
| Nevada Air Quality Management Division | Dusty the Dusthole | 2003–present | known for catchphrase "Don't Be a Dusthole!"; played by Alan Burd |
| Nike athletic shoe | Li'l Penny | debuted 1996 | voiced by Chris Rock, based on basketball's Anfernee Hardaway |
| 9Lives cat food | Morris the Cat | 1968–present | voiced by John Erwin |
| OfficeMax | the Rubberband Man | 2004–2005 | played by Eddie Steeples |
| Old Milwaukee beer | the Swedish Bikini Team | 1991 | |
| Old Spice aftershave | the Old Spice sailor | 1970s–1980s | played by John Bennett Perry |
| Old Spice body wash | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like | 2010–present | played by Isaiah Mustafa |
| Orbit chewing gum | Vanessa | 2002–present | Played by Vanessa Branch |
| Palmolive dish detergent | Madge the manicurist | 1966–1992 | played by Jan Miner |
| Pampers diapers | Pampers pampa | ||
| Partnership for a Drug-Free America | Patsy | 2008 | the not-so-informed housewife/mother in the "Don't Be A Patsy" commercials. Played by Pam Cook |
| Pep Boys auto parts stores | Manny, Moe, and Jack | caricatures based on founders Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice L. "Moe" Strauss, and W. Graham "Jack" Jackson | |
| Pets.com | Pets.com Sock Puppet | originally performed by Michael Ian Black; now mascot for auto loan company Bar None | |
| Philadelphia Cream Cheese | The Angels | 1999–present | originated in Canada in 1994, although TV spots were produced in US; played in various ads by Linda Kash, Kelly Hu and Krista Sutton |
| Piels beer | Bert and Harry, the Piels brothers | 1955–1960 | voiced by Bob Elliott (Harry) and Ray Goulding (Bert) |
| Pillsbury | Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy | 1965–present | voiced first by Paul Frees, currently by JoBe Cerny |
| Pine-Sol cleaning detergent | The Pine Sol Lady | played by Diane Amos | |
| Planters snacks | Mr. Peanut | 1916–present | |
| Popsicle ice pops | Popsicle Pete | 1940s–1995 | |
| Post Cereals' Honeycomb cereal | The Crazy Craving | debuted 1990s | |
| Post Cereals' Golden Crisp cereal | Sugar Bear | voiced by Sterling Holloway, Gerry Matthews | |
| Power Companies - various | Reddy Kilowatt | Debuted in 1926, less used after the 1970s | |
| Progressive auto insurance | Flo | 2008–present | Actress Stephanie Courtney |
| Qantas Airlines | Qantas koala bear | debuted 1967 | voiced by Howard Morris |
| Quaker Oats | the Quaker Oats man | 1877–present | |
| Quaker Quake cereal | Quake | 1965–1970s | created by Jay Ward Productions, voiced by William Conrad |
| Quaker Quisp cereal | Quisp | 1965–1970s | voiced by Daws Butler |
| Quizno's restaurants | Spongmonkey | 2003–2004 | characters originated on an internet blog |
| Quizno's restaurants | Baby Bob | 2005–present | The Baby Bob character originated on an internet blog, and had a short-lived CBS show; currently voiced by Ken Hudson Campbell |
| Raid insecticides | Raid bugs | 1956–present | |
| RCA | Nipper, the curious dog | 1900–present | |
| RCA | Chipper | debuted 1991 | a puppy version of Nipper |
| Real California Cheese | Happy Cows | debuted 1990s | product website |
| Red White & Blue Beer | Harmon R. Whittle | 1980s | |
| Robert Hall clothing stores | Robert Hall birds | 1950s | |
| Savarin coffee | El Exigente | 1960s–1970s | played by Carlos Montalbán |
| Schlitz Malt Liquor | Schlitz Malt Liquor bull | ||
| ScotTowels | Aunt Bluebelle | 1970s | voiced by Mae Questel |
| Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner | Scrubbing Bubbles | originally voiced by Paul Winchell | |
| Serta mattresses | Serta Counting Sheep | animated by Aardman Animations | |
| 7UP soft drink | Freshup Freddie | 1950s | created by Walt Disney Productions |
| 7UP soft drink | The UnDeer | Early 1970s | Christmas mascot - 7UP issued a promotional hand puppet of the character; voiced by Paul Frees |
| 7UP soft drink | Cool Spot | 1987–1995 | |
| Six Flags theme parks | Mr. Six | 2004–2005, 2009–present | |
| Snapple | The Snapple Lady | 1990–1994, 1996–2008 | played by Wendy Kaufman, who also worked for Snapple |
| Snuggle fabric softener | Snuggle Bear | designed by Kermit Love, voiced by Corinne Orr | |
| Sony | Randy the Transistor Radio | 1963 | Used for a promotional booklet |
| Sprite soft drink | Miles Thirst | 2004–present | |
| StarKist Tuna | Charlie the Tuna | debuted 1961 | voiced by Herschel Bernardi |
| Starbucks coffee | the Starbucks melusine | ||
| Subway restaurants | The Subway Shadow | 2000 | a hand shadow voiced by Gilbert Gottfried |
| Sun-Maid raisins | The Sun-Maid Raisin Girl | ||
| Taco Bell restaurants | the Taco Bell chihuahua | 1997–2000 | voiced by Carlos Alazraqui; portrayed by a chihuahua named Gidget |
| Taco John's restaurants | Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey | 2004–present | A Capuchin monkey wearing a sombrero and poncho |
| Tampax Tampons | Tampax Mother Nature | 2008–present | Dresses conservatively and arrives to give women who might be reaching their period a "gift" (a red box), only to be turned down by her intended targets. Played by Catherine Lloyd Burns |
| Target Stores | Spot the dog | ||
| Taster's Choice instant coffee | Taster's Choice couple | debuted 1987 in Britain, 1990 in U.S. | played by Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan |
| TD Bank | TD | 2000s | Replaced the Commerce Bank's "Mr. C" after the merger |
| Toilet Duck toilet cleaner | Toilet Duck | mid-1990s | An animatronic, helmet wearing duck head sticking out of a small tank. Typically strolls into the bathroom saying "Quack, quaaack!" |
| Tootsie Roll Pops | Mr. Owl | 1970–present | voiced by Paul Winchell |
| Tootsie Rolls | Captain Tootsie | ||
| Toys "R" Us stores | Geoffrey the giraffe | 1960s–present | Animatronic Geoffrey voiced by Jim Hanks |
| Travelocity | the roaming garden gnome | debuted 2003 | |
| TriStar Pictures | the TriStar Pegasus | 1984–present | |
| Trix cereal | Trix rabbit | 1959–present | Originally voiced by Mort Marshall; lately has been done by Russell Horton |
| Trojan condoms | Trojan Man | ||
| Twinkies snacks | Twinkie the Kid | ||
| Ty-D-Bol toilet cleaners | the Ty-D-Bol Man | Played by Mark Matheisen, Fred Miltonberg, Larry Sprinkle | |
| Uncle Ben's rice | Uncle Ben | 1946–present | Purportedly named after a Texas rice grower |
| United States Forest Service | Smokey Bear | 1944–present | the original was found clinging to a charred tree limb as a cub following a forest fire |
| United States Forest Service | Woodsy Owl | 1970–present | voiced by Frank Welker |
| United States Post Office Department/United States Postal Service | Mr. ZIP | 1960s–1970s | |
| Verizon Wireless | the Verizon Wireless Test Man | 2004–2011 | played by Paul Marcarelli; famous for the quote "Can you hear me now? Good." |
| Vlasic Pickles | the Vlasic stork | debuted 1970s | |
| Volkswagen GTI | Miss Helga | debuted 2006 | |
| Walmart | Mr. Rollback | 1988–2008, and then again in 2010 | |
| Wendy's restaurants | Founder Dave Thomas' daughter Wendy | 1969–present | The real Wendy Thomas, at the time approximately age 50, appeared in TV commercials for the chain in 2011. |
| Wendy's restaurants | Mr. Wendy | 2004 | played by Roger Eschbacher |
| Western Airlines | Wally the bird | debuted 1955 | |
| Willy Wonka candy | Willy Wonka (animated version) | 1972–present | Based on Gene Wilder's portrayal and Quentin Blake's illustrations. |
| Xerox copiers | Brother Dominick | debuted 1975 | played by Jack Eagle |
| various advertisers | Ernest P. Worrell | debuted 1980s | played by Jim Varney |
| various advertisers | Muffler Men | 1962-1976 | Series of 18-25 foot tall fibreglass characters at roadside businesses. Originally a Paul Bunyan holding an axe outside a Bunyan-themed restaurant, variants promoted everything from hot dogs to automotive parts. |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list, american, advertising and/or characters:
“Do your children view themselves as successes or failures? Are they being encouraged to be inquisitive or passive? Are they afraid to challenge authority and to question assumptions? Do they feel comfortable adapting to change? Are they easily discouraged if they cannot arrive at a solution to a problem? The answers to those questions will give you a better appraisal of their education than any list of courses, grades, or test scores.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“Hey, you dress up our town very nicely. You don’t look out the Chamber of Commerce is going to list you in their publicity with the local attractions.”
—Robert M. Fresco, and Jack Arnold. Dr. Matt Hastings (John Agar)
“The American who has been confined, in his own country, to the sight of buildings designed after foreign models, is surprised on entering York Minster or St. Peter’s at Rome, by the feeling that these structures are imitations also,—faint copies of an invisible archetype.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Life is beset by many annoyances, and those that stand out above all are the life- insurance and advertising agents.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)
“Of all the characters I have known, perhaps Walden wears best, and best preserves its purity. Many men have been likened to it, but few deserve that honor. Though the woodchoppers have laid bare first this shore and then that, and the Irish have built their sties by it, and the railroad has infringed on its border, and the ice-men have skimmed it once, it is itself unchanged, the same water which my youthful eyes fell on; all the change is in me.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)