Step back into fast food history as we rank twelve iconic corporate mascots to ever grace TV screens and burger wrappers.
From claymation raisins to moon headed crooners, fast food chains have spent decades concocting unforgettable characters to sell us fries and shakes. Grab a fry and join us as we countdown twelve legendary advertising icons that defined retro pop culture.
First appearing in 1963, Ronald McDonald was originally portrayed by television personality Willard Scott in local Washington, D.C. commercials. Over the decades, the red-and-yellow jumpsuit wearing clown lived in the fictional land of McDonaldland alongside a colorful cast of burger loving companions.
Sources: Wikipedia
Created in 1986 by claymation animator Will Vinton, The Noid was a red jumpsuit clad nuisance obsessed with ruining hot pizza deliveries. Domino's warned customers to avoid him, spawning a popular NES video game and various pop culture references throughout the late 1980s.
Sources: Wikipedia
Harland Sanders started serving his famous fried chicken from a roadside spot in Corbin, Kentucky, in the 1930s, then franchised it into Kentucky Fried Chicken before selling his rights and becoming the ultimate brand ambassador. Wearing his signature white suit and string tie, his likeness continues to represent the chain worldwide.
Sources: Wikipedia
Introduced in November 1971 as Evil Grimace, this purple character originally had four arms and tried to steal milkshakes from children. McDonald's quickly revamped him into a friendly, two-armed purple blob who became one of Ronald's closest companions.
Sources: Wikipedia
Although a jack in the box toy inspired the restaurant's name in 1951, the suave corporate CEO version of Jack Box debuted in 1994. Wearing a business suit and a spherical white head with a black pointy nose, he transformed the chain's marketing with witty television spots.
Sources: Wikipedia
Played by a female Chihuahua named Gidget, this iconic dog captured late 1990s pop culture with her famous catchphrase. Voiced by actor Carlos Alazraqui, the mascot starred in a series of popular commercials from 1997 through 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia
Designed to boost late night drive-thru sales starting in 1986, Mac Tonight featured a giant crescent moon head, sunglasses, and a grand piano. Performed by actor Doug Jones, the crooning moon sang a parody of Mack the Knife to nocturnal fast food enthusiasts.
Sources: Wikipedia
Standing guard outside restaurants in his red-and-white checkered overalls, hoisting a double-decker burger over his pompadour, Big Boy has been the chubby-cheeked face of the Big Boy chain since 1936. His fiberglass statue became one of the most recognizable roadside sights in America. Nothing says pull over and eat quite like a giant grinning child holding a hamburger.
Sources: Wikipedia
First appearing on restaurant signage in 1955, the Burger King evolved from an animated magician in the 1970s into a silent king with a rigid mask in 2004. Designed by ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the plastic masked monarch gained a massive internet cult following.
Sources: Wikipedia
Named after founder Marian Ilitch's affectionate nickname for her husband Mike, the toga wearing cartoon mascot became a television fixture in 1979. Holding a spear stacked with pizza, he famously chanted Pizza! Pizza! to highlight the chain's two-for-one deals.
Sources: Wikipedia
Debuting in 1971 as a sneaky villain who attempted to hoard all of McDonaldland's burgers for himself, the Hamburglar originally wore a black cape and mask. Over the years, McDonald's softened his mischievous character into a friendly kid-like rogue in black and white stripes.
Sources: Wikipedia
Founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas, the burger chain took its name and iconic pigtail portrait from his eight year old daughter Melinda Lou, who was nicknamed Wendy. Her red hair, freckles, and blue striped dress became one of the most recognizable logos in fast food history.
Sources: Wikipedia
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, but not before you jump into the comments to crown your favorite commercial icon. Beam this list over to a fellow couch potato and let the fast food nostalgia debate begin!
The Common Clickbait crew who watch too much so you do not have to. Fueled by nostalgia, cheap snacks, and an unhealthy need to be right about the ending.
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