About PopIcon

A message from Heather Taylor, Senior Editor, PopIcon

PopIcon was born out of a love for characters. In the advertising space, brand mascots are more than just friendly faces representing brands and establishing consumer loyalty. They’re engaging, trustworthy, and fun. Characters like the Pillsbury Doughboy, Mr. Peanut, the Kool-Aid Man, and Ronald McDonald have long been our friends over the decades. But, as technology and societal taste evolves, we have seeing less of these mascots — and we don’t want to forget them.

This space is dedicated to keeping the conversation alive about brand mascots from all walks of life. We introduce and reintroduce fans to iconic mascots they know and love, those they might have forgotten about, and some they might not have heard of before, but are excited for the introduction.

Each week, PopIcon takes a closer look at the historic backgrounds behind these characters. We talk to the advertising and animation agencies responsible for executing their initial concepts and study how character designs have evolved over time. We also share clips and images of icons when they first debuted, and #breakingnews about the campaigns they’re currently involved in today.

Here, we celebrate every character throughout the seasons.

We take flight with the Qantas Koala and Wally Bird from Western Airlines.

We visit new continents to hang out with the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup mascots.

We hit the red carpet to glimpse the NBC Peacock and see how the Oscar statuette was created.

We head through the fast food restaurant drive-thru for a trip down “McDonaldland” memory lane.

We snack with Chester Cheetah and the Keebler Elves, swing back home to clean up with the Scrubbing Bubbles and nap with the Serta Sheep, and make dinner alongside the Pillsbury Doughboy and Betty Crocker.

And in the morning, you’ll find us in the breakfast nook along cereal favorites like Toucan Sam, Lucky from Lucky Charms, Cap’n Crunch, and Snap, Crackle, and Pop from Rice Krispies. Maybe a box of Quisp will be on the table, too.

Join us for the adventure of a lifetime as we share the fascinating life and times behind these icons!

Photo Credit: Sara Burgess Photography