# TV or movie cartoon characters used in commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057 "2015-11-20T07:07:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/1 "2015-11-20T07:07:13Z")
I’m thinking along the lines of the Flintstones being used for the Fruity Pebbles brand. Not characters that were made up for the campaign, like Cap’n Crunch. Any other examples? Apologies if this has already been done. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/2 "2015-11-20T07:27:01Z")
Where do you want to start? Commercials using cartoon characters are all over the place. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, and the Roadrunner appeared in an Aflac commercial. Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, and the Tasmanian Devil have all been in Geico commercials. Bart Simpson has done Butterfinger commercials. Stewie and Brian Griffin for “Hweat” Thins. (Stewie’s pronunciation.) The Pink Panther for Corning insulation. I’m sure Dopers can come up with hundreds of other examples. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/3 "2015-11-20T07:31:45Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Where do you want to start? … I’m sure Dopers can come up with hundreds of other examples. Anywhere. Game on. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/4 "2015-11-20T08:46:10Z")
Snoopy and Woodstock for that insurance company (Metropolitan Life). Rocky and Bullwinkle for GEICO, General Mills, Taco Bell. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/5 "2015-11-20T11:32:11Z")
Well, Fred and Barney knew [A Winston Tastes Good, Like a Cigarette Should](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZvHiiWFbBU). But everyone shilled for a specific sponsor back then. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/6 "2015-11-20T11:54:34Z")
Captain America, in a PSA for the [Department of Energy.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wJU3xXE6iow) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/7 "2015-11-20T18:20:16Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Snoopy and Woodstock for that insurance company (Metropolitan Life). > > Rocky and Bullwinkle for GEICO, General Mills, Taco Bell. The Peanuts characters also did commercials for Dolly Madison cakes. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/8 "2015-11-20T18:31:54Z")
I remember a Visa (“Priceless!”) commercial from about six years ago featuring a string of cartoon characters, including Olive Oyl modeling a WonderBra. Also, an ad for either American Express or Exxon (they were at a gas pump) with an animated Superman and a live-action Lois Lane. Popeye’s Chicken briefly licensed Popeye for commercials back in the 90s. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are currently in an ad for Lay’s Potato Chips. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/9 "2015-11-20T18:38:15Z")
Davy and Goliath for Mountain Dew. “We got hosed.” Gumby and Pokey for Honda. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/10 "2015-11-20T18:47:11Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > I remember a Visa (“Priceless!”) commercial from about six years ago featuring a string of cartoon characters, including Olive Oyl modeling a WonderBra. Also, an ad for either American Express or Exxon (they were at a gas pump) with an animated Superman and a live-action Lois Lane. > > Popeye’s Chicken briefly licensed Popeye for commercials back in the 90s. > > Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are currently in an ad for Lay’s Potato Chips. Despite the fact that Popeyes was named after a movie character, They used to have the cartoon characters all over the restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/11 "2015-11-20T18:49:30Z")
[MetLife commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWzKSBWf3Fs) with dozens, maybe hundreds of TV/Movie cartoon characters. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/12 "2015-11-20T19:10:57Z")
For a long time\*, Dennis the Menace was associated with Dairy Queen. \*Actually, from 1971 through 2002. While researching this, I found the Wikipedia article that gives a name to the kind of thing this thread is about: [Spokestoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokestoon). ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/13 "2015-11-20T19:11:10Z")
Do cereals named after existing cartoon characters count? If so, there’s Strawberry Shortcake, ad infinitum. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/14 "2015-11-20T19:45:27Z")
Disney produced a lot of commercials using its animated characters in the 1950s. See [here](http://www.awn.com/animationworld/secret-walt-disney-commercials) for the story, and [here](http://peterpan.wikia.com/wiki/File:VINTAGE_1950%27s_ANIMATED_PETER_PAN_PEANUT_BUTTER_COMMERCIAL) for an example. (By the way, Peter Pan peanut butter was not, as I had thought, a commercial spin-off of the Disney movie; it was in existence long before.) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/15 "2015-11-20T20:19:29Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Despite the fact that Popeyes was named after a movie character, They used to have the cartoon characters all over the restaurant. They’ve always been a little cagey about where they got the name from; Here’s the Wikipedia account: > [@](#): > > Copeland claimed he named the stores after the fictional detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in the movie The French Connection[12][13] and not the comic and cartoon character Popeye the Sailor. Copeland would claim facetiously that he was “too poor” to afford an apostrophe.[12] The chain later acquired rights to use Popeye the Sailor for marketing. The company’s early brand became deeply tied to the cartoon star with its sponsorship of the Popeye & Pals children’s show in New Orleans, and the character appeared on items from packaging to racing boats. In late November 2006, AFC announced the mutual termination of their licensing contract with King Features Syndicate, effectively ending their association with the Popeye characters.[14] My take is that they infringed on the copyrighted character within microns of it being actionable, and then licensed said character to a limited degree, for a limited time. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/16 "2015-11-20T20:35:44Z")
More appropriately than fried chicken, there is a [Popeye Brand spinach](https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2684/4498323047_482a1ee1bd_z.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/17 "2015-11-20T20:40:03Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > More appropriately than fried chicken, there is a [Popeye Brand spinach](https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2684/4498323047_482a1ee1bd_z.jpg). I hope it’s smothered in olive oil! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/18 "2015-11-20T20:41:59Z")
Picking cartoon characters makes this too easy. One thing that came to mind was Steven Van Zandt’s [commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXeyYdGoLCU) for World of Warcraft. The spot doesn’t actually identify him as Silvio Dante, his character from the Sopranos, but there’s no doubt that’s who he’s playing. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/19 "2015-11-20T20:46:39Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Popeye’s Chicken briefly licensed Popeye for commercials back in the 90s. I recall at least one year when Popeyes offered a discount on 17 January to celebrate some anniversary of the character’s first appearance. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057/20 "2015-11-20T21:06:32Z")
The Flintstone appeared in commercials for _cigarettes_ (winstons). These ran during the show itself – proof positive that the cartoons were meant for adults, as well. > **[flintstones cigarette commercial - Bing](http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=flintstones%2Bcigarette%2Bcommercial&qpvt=Flintstones%2Bcigarette%2Bcommercial&FORM=VDRE)** > > Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you. For that matter, Hannah Barbera ran commercials for Kellogg’s cereals, not only involving their own characters, but animating the cereal mascots as well (the rooster from Corn Flakes, Sammy the Seal from Sugar Smacks, Tony the Tiger from Frosted Flakes) Going way back, did you know that Skippy peanut butter is named after a comic strip character? The company denies it, but there is persuasive evidence that the tie-in is deliberate. The creator of the strip got no compensation, and he and his heirs have been fighting the use of the name: > **[Skippy (comic strip)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skippy_(comic_strip))** > > Skippy is an American comic strip written and drawn by Percy Crosby that was published from 1923 to 1945. A highly popular, acclaimed and influential feature about rambunctious fifth-grader Skippy Skinner, his friends and his enemies, it was adapted into movies, a novel and a radio show. It was commemorated on a 1997 U.S. Postal Service stamp and was the basis for a wide range of merchandising—although perhaps the most well-known product bearing the Skippy name, Skippy peanut butter, used the nam... > **[Skippy is Dead, R.I.P.](https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/skippy-is-dead-r-i-p/)** > > Most of you won’t remember the late 50s TV series The Peoples Choice starring former child star, Jackie Cooper. The sit-com, about the courtship of Socrates Miller (Cooper) and his girl friend Mand… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-or-movie-cartoon-characters-used-in-commercials/738057.md?page=2)