As part of our countdown to Advertising Week 2016 in New York City and this year’s Madison Avenue Walk of Fame, we’re profiling the winners from the past 12 years; here are the winners from 2007.
Orville Redenbacher
Brand Represented: Orville Redenbacher
Year Introduced: 1919
The second businessman and spokesperson on behalf of his brand to be inducted into the Walk of Fame after Colonel Sanders in 2006, Orville Redenbacher dedicated his life to perfecting the art of gourmet popcorn.
In 1919, Orville began growing his popcorn when he was only 12 years old. After raising enough money from his business to attend college, he graduated and perfected his popcorn hybrid alongside business partner Charles Bowman in 1965. Dressed in a suit and bow tie with his iconic glasses, Orville’s first commercial in 1976 challenged viewers to figure out which popcorn was his “lighter, fluffier” recipe. The commercial spot made an icon out of Orville, who would continue to stay one foot ahead of the snack game until his passing in 1995. His legacy lives on, as researchers for the company continue to create new, innovative, and delicious popcorn varieties.
Chick-fil-A Cows
Brand Represented: Chick-fil-A
Year Introduced: 1995
In 1995, renegade cows scrawled “EAT MOR CHIKIN” in paint on a Chick-fil-A billboard. Yes, you read that sentence correctly — and yes, that would Chick-fil-A’s slogan in an ad campaign created by The Richards Group.
Replacing Doodles, former mascot and anthropomorphized chicken who appears as the C on the logo, the cows fearlessly changed the burger-consumption landscape. They insisted that Chick-fil-A lovers switch to chicken instead to avoid eating their own kind. The Walk of Fame took notice of the courage of the cows and honored their bravery with an induction in 2007. The cows still share their message today via social media, where Eat Mor Chikin Cowz has thousands of Facebook followers.
