Hawaiian Punch - Punchy, Hawaiian Punch's Mascot

Punchy, Hawaiian Punch's Mascot

In February 1962, the animated character of "Punchy" was introduced in a commercial for Hawaiian Punch, punching everything in sight up to and including horses, meat loaves, and kindergartners, eventually becoming the product's mascot. The character of "Punchy" was originated by artist Martin Mandelblatt, animated by Jan Svochak, and the voice provided by Len Maxwell. "Punchy" has evolved from the original design into the character as seen today. His long-time catchphrase is "How about a nice Hawaiian Punch?" which would then be followed by Punchy literally punching his unsuspecting cohort. The victim of Punchy's punch shenanigans in the initial commercials was a tourist character named Opie (sometimes referred to as Oaf), who always answered "Sure!", only to receive a wallop from Punchy. The Punchy and Opie characters and tagline remained in use until the 1990s. The punch returned in a 2003 advertisement that saw Punchy knocking people into walls at a fun house.

Some believe that the idea of Punchy came from a Hawaiian named Josefa Moe.

Punchy was animated primarily by Jan Svochak of J.J. Sedelmaier Productions. He was head animator of the character from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Punchy is sometimes shown on the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia after outfielder Shane Victorino (a native of Hawaii) makes an important hit. Also, former New York Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani (also Hawaiian) was nicknamed "Hawaiian Punch" after a series of clutch homers in the 2000 season.