Advertising mascots. Then.. and now

Ingenious advertising mascots really have a way of working themselves into consumers hearts. Today I'm listing a few of my favorite advertising icons from my youth, and how they appeared back then.. and now.

The Pillsbury Dough boy

circa 1970s

Pillsbury Dough boy today..

Like so many other mascots these days, the Dough boy of years past is now computer animated.  I know good old Poppin' fresh was only a lump of clay brought to life by stop animation, but for some reason.. the new Dough boy seems to have lost some of his realness (if that makes sense).

Jack the Clown

circa 1976

Jack today..

While the new Jack is definitely funny and entertaining, I miss the old Jack and everything associated with him.  From the big rotating clown heads atop the restaurants, and of course the old ordering stations with the clown head you could talk into, I miss it all.

Snap, Crackle and Pop 

(circa 1960s)

Snap, Crackle and Pop today..

Still elfish.. still little.. but compare these two pictures and check out the face lifts these guys have had!  Eye lifts, nose jobs, cheek implants, and ear enhancements seem to have sucked the individuality out of each character.

 

Kool Aid Man 
(circa 1970's)

Kool Aid Man today..

The Kool Aid man used to be a way cooler cat back in the day.  Who didn't love hearing him say "Oh Yeahhhh" in that awesome raspy voice of his?  Today's Kool Aid man is now a mere shadow of his former self.  He now has a fixed expression on his mug, and no longer utters dialogue of any sort, both of which seriously take away from his personality.

I could go on and on comparing mascots with their former likenesses, but I think I'll save it for a future post (or two).  How about you?  Do you find yourself being more fond of retro mascots verses their newer streamlined versions?