120 Fun Facts About Commercial & Jingle

What did the first radio commercial jingle, aired in December 1926, advertise?

Sales spiked in Minnesota, the only place it aired, and the cereal was saved from cancellation.

The first official paid TV commercial, in 1941, was for which brand?

It ran before a Dodgers-Phillies game on WNBT and cost somewhere between $4 and $9.

The first TV ad in the UK, in 1955, was for what?

Gibbs SR toothpaste, on the opening night of ITV.

Which cereal does Tony the Tiger sell?

He debuted in 1952 and quickly saw off Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant and Newt the Gnu.

Who provided Tony the Tiger's deep bass voice for five decades?

He is also the uncredited singer of 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch'.

Tony the Tiger was named after whom?

Raymond Anthony Wells lent his middle name.

Who first played Ronald McDonald on TV in 1963?

Scott had played Bozo on Washington's WRC-TV from 1959 to 1962.

Which McDonaldland character started out purple and evil, stealing shakes?

He has since become a good guy, and got a birthday shake in 2023.

Who sued McDonald's in 1973 claiming McDonaldland copied their TV show?

They said Mayor McCheese infringed on H.R. Pufnstuf.

The Big Mac debuted in 1967 in which Pennsylvania town?

Franchisee Jim Delligatti sold it for 45 cents; earlier names were the Aristocrat and the Blue Ribbon Burger.

McDonald's 'I'm lovin' it' campaign was created by an agency in which country?

Heye & Partner of Unterhaching launched it in Munich in 2003 as 'ich liebe es'.

Who sang the vocals on the original 2003 'I'm lovin' it' spots?

It was McDonald's first global campaign, launched after its first-ever loss in 2002.

The Energizer Bunny began in 1988 as a parody of which rival's ad?

Duracell's drumming bunny dated to 1973, but its trademark had lapsed.

The original 1973 drumming bunny is trademarked everywhere except which three places?

Everywhere else, the pink drummer belongs to Duracell.

What does the Energizer Bunny wear on its feet?

Plus sunglasses, and a bass drum with the logo.

What is the Pillsbury Doughboy's proper name?

He was created in 1965 by Leo Burnett copywriter Rudy Perz.

What does the Doughboy do when a finger pokes his belly?

The poke ended almost every ad from 1965 to 2005.

Who was the first voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, for 21 years?

Winchell, Tigger's voice, auditioned but lost out.

What is the Michelin Man's official name?

It comes from Horace's line Nunc est bibendum, 'now is the time to drink'.

In which year was the Michelin Man introduced, making him one of the oldest trademarks in use?

The Michelin brothers saw a stack of tyres at the Lyon Exhibition and pictured a man without arms.

Mr. Clean's back-story says he was what before selling cleaner?

From Pensacola, Florida; the earring and folded arms make people assume genie.

What is Mr. Clean's first name, chosen in a 1962 contest?

He made his TV debut in 1958, played live by House Peters Jr.

The Jolly Green Giant's 'Ho, ho, ho' became his signature in which year?

Leo Burnett had added the leafy suit, the smile and the word Jolly in 1935.

What is the name of the Jolly Giant's young apprentice, introduced in 1972?

He represents the consumer.

How tall is the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, Minnesota?

It was unveiled in 1978 beside US 169.

What does the Kool-Aid Man shout after bursting through a wall?

He arrives when children shout 'Hey, Kool-Aid!'

What inspired the smiling pitcher face that became the Kool-Aid Man in 1954?

Art director Marvin Potts watched his son draw smiley faces on the glass.

How did an ad-agency art director come up with the Aflac Duck?

Muttering 'Aflac, Aflac' in Central Park, he realised it sounded like a quack.

The Aflac Duck first appeared in which year?

Kaplan Thaler Group in New York created it and every duck ad since.

What were the three Budweiser Frogs named?

They croaked in sequence to spell the brand name, starting at Super Bowl XXIX in 1995.

Which future Pirates of the Caribbean director shot the first Budweiser Frogs ad?

Adweek called it one of the most iconic alcohol campaigns ever.

Budweiser's 'Whassup?' ads were based on a short film with what title?

Charles Stone III made it with his childhood friends and directed the ads too.

The first 'Whassup?' spot aired in December 1999 during which broadcast?

It ran again right after the Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show and won the Cannes Grand Prix.

The Budweiser Clydesdales were first shown to the public in 1933 to celebrate what?

The hitch carried the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery.

How many Clydesdales are driven at one time in a Budweiser hitch?

Each team carries ten so there are alternates.

Which Bud Light mascot dog of the late 1980s was billed as 'The Original Party Animal'?

He debuted in a Super Bowl XXI ad in 1987.

What was revealed about the bull terrier who played Bud Light's party-animal mascot?

Honey Tree Evil Eye, or Evie, was a female Bull Terrier from Woodstock, Illinois.

Bud Light's 2017 'Dilly Dilly' phrase actually comes from which old song?

The agency used it as a placeholder while writing the medieval 'Banquet' ad and it stuck.

In the 'Dilly Dilly' ads, where is a guest banished for bringing spiced honey mead wine?

The phrase itself, the agency admits, means nothing.

The Bud Bowl ads first aired during which Super Bowl?

Stop-motion bottles took eight hours of work for three seconds of footage.

Which Steelers star tossed a kid his game shirt in Coca-Cola's 1979 'Hey Kid, Catch!'?

The boy was Tommy Okon; the ad won a Clio and re-aired at Super Bowl XIV.

Coca-Cola's 1971 'Hilltop' jingle was sung by which group?

Bill Backer wrote the key line on a napkin while stranded at Shannon Airport.

The Hilltop jingle was reworked from a song originally called what?

Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway's tune had been recorded by Susan Shirley in 1971.

What inspired the creator of Coca-Cola's 1993 animated polar bears?

Ken Stewart's dog looked like a polar bear; the bears debuted in 'Northern Lights' during the NBA Finals.

Which brand launched blind taste tests called 'the Challenge' in 1975?

Ten years later Coke changed its formula, and had to bring back Classic within three months.

Which Pepsi commercial was cancelled in 1989 after backlash over a music video?

The $5 million campaign was tied to 'Like a Prayer'.

Who directed Apple's '1984' Macintosh commercial?

Chiat/Day conceived it; English athlete Anya Major threw the hammer.

Why did Apple's Macintosh ad air once in Twin Falls, Idaho, on 31 December 1983?

Its only national airing was in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII.

Who played the Mac and the PC in Apple's 'Get a Mac' ads?

In the UK version it was David Mitchell and Robert Webb.

Which agency's 1959 'Think Small' Volkswagen ads were named the top campaign of the century?

Advertising Age ranked it number one in 1999.

Which VW ad left the word for a bad car in the American language?

Art director Helmut Krone designed it and 'Think Small' at the same time.

Nike's 'Just Do It' was inspired by the last words of whom?

Dan Wieden adapted Gary Gilmore's 'Let's do it' in 1988.

From 1988 to 1998, Nike's share of the North American sports-shoe market grew from 18% to what?

From $877 million to $9.2 billion in sales.

Michael Jordan's first Nike deal in 1984 was worth how much over six years?

Three times more than any other NBA deal at the time, plus royalties.

Who asked 'Where's the beef?' for Wendy's in 1984?

She was an 81-year-old manicurist; her emphysema stopped her saying the longer scripted line.

What was the 'Where's the beef?' lady's job before Wendy's made her famous at 81?

She had worked 35 years at a Chicago beauty salon.

Which fast-food chain's 1997-2000 mascot was a talking chihuahua named Gidget?

Her catchphrase, in Spanish, meant 'I want Taco Bell'.

Which two voices did the actor behind Gidget the talking chihuahua say he blended?

Carlos Alazraqui added a touch of Anthony Quinn.

Which fast-food mascot's giant spherical white head sits on a business suit?

He has been the chain's fictional founder and CEO in ads since 1994.

Burger King's 2004 Subservient Chicken campaign promoted which sandwich?

Visitors to a website could type commands and a man in a chicken suit would obey.

For how much did Colonel Sanders sell Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964?

He was 73 and stayed on as salaried brand ambassador.

Which Dunkin' Donuts character got up before dawn saying 'Time to make the donuts'?

Michael Vale played him from 1981 to 1997.

Mr. Whipple scolded shoppers for squeezing which product?

Dick Wilson played him in more than 500 commercials between 1964 and 1985.

Approximately how many commercials did Dick Wilson make as Mr. Whipple?

Advertising Age put the campaign among the top 100 of the century.

What is Snap, of Snap, Crackle and Pop, usually wearing?

Crackle wears the sleeping cap and Pop the shako.

Which illustrator designed Snap, Crackle and Pop in the early 1930s?

The first character appeared on the box in 1933; the names come from a radio ad.

In which year did the animated Trix Rabbit debut on TV?

Copywriter Joe Harris also wrote the tagline the kids use to deny him cereal.

What was the first cereal to include marshmallows?

John Holahan got the idea by mixing Cheerios with Brach's circus peanuts.

Cap'n Crunch's ship is called what?

His canine first mate is Seadog; the ads were made by Jay Ward Productions.

Since May 2024, how many bars does Cap'n Crunch wear on his sleeves?

For years he wore three, a commander's rank, prompting jokes that he was no captain.

Sonny the Cuckoo Bird goes cuckoo for which cereal?

He tries to resist, fails, and usually destroys wherever he is standing.

Which two monster cereals launched together in March 1971?

Franken Berry's pigment briefly turned some children's stool pink in 1972.

The 'Hey, Mikey! He likes it!' Life cereal ad ran from 1972 until when?

John Gilchrist played the hard-to-please four-year-old in one of TV's longest-running ads.

Morris the Cat, 'the world's most finicky cat', sells which brand?

The original Morris was adopted from a Chicago-area shelter in 1968.

What kind of animal is Chester, the Cheetos mascot?

He replaced the Cheetos Mouse in 1986; his slogan since 1997 is 'Dangerously cheesy'.

Which voice actor played the Frito Bandito, retired in 1971 after protests?

He used an exaggerated accent like his Speedy Gonzales; Tex Avery animated the ads.

Which brand's 1944 calypso jingle featured a singing, dancing banana?

It told listeners how to store the fruit; the trademark followed in 1947.

A 1973 Oscar Mayer ad had four-year-old Andy Lambros spelling the brand's name while holding what?

The 1963 wiener jingle had a group of children singing they'd love to be one.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile first hit the road in which year?

A 2023 attempt to rename it the Frankmobile lasted four months.

Kit Kat's US jingle telling you to break off a piece dates from which year?

The UK slogan since 1958 has been 'Have a break, have a Kit Kat'.

Which brand's US commercials are made by Hershey under licence, not by its owner Nestlé?

Rowntree's struck the Hershey deal in 1970, before Nestlé bought Rowntree's in 1988.

Barry Manilow wrote the 'Like a good neighbor' jingle for State Farm in which year?

Weezer covered it in 2011.

What is the original Jake from State Farm wearing, in his timid reply to a suspicious wife?

The first Jake, Jake Stone, was a real State Farm employee.

Which State Farm ad family had NBA players Chris Paul as dad and DeAndre Jordan as mom?

Kevin Love was the son, Kevin Garnett the grandfather and Damian Lillard the baby.

Which actress plays Flo, the Progressive Insurance saleswoman?

A Groundlings alumna, she has appeared in more than 1,000 Progressive ads since 2008.

Flo's Australian counterpart, introduced in 2011, is called what?

Played by Holly Austin.

What kind of animal is the GEICO mascot?

A gold dust day gecko with a Cockney accent.

Which Frasier star was an early voice of the GEICO Gecko?

English actor Jake Wood voices him now.

The GEICO Cavemen were inspired by a short story by which author?

'Pastoralia' is about people who work as cave-dwellers at a failing theme park.

Which GEICO character cried 'Wee wee wee' all the way home?

He was later revived for the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament.

Liberty Mutual's LiMu Emu is accompanied by a human partner named what?

Doug is played by David Hoffman and tries to keep the emu from acting out.

Allstate's 'good hands' slogan dates from which year?

Dennis Haysbert became spokesman in 2003, and Mayhem arrived later.

Who played Dos Equis's Most Interesting Man in the World from 2006 to 2016?

He said the character was inspired by his late sailing partner Fernando Lamas.

How was the original Most Interesting Man written out in 2016?

His only regret was not knowing what regret feels like.

Old Spice's 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' starred whom?

The ad was aimed at women, who buy most of the household's hygiene products.

What is the Old Spice man riding at the end of his famous 2010 monologue?

A cart carried Mustafa from the boat set onto the horse in one continuous take.

Cadbury's 2007 'Gorilla' ad has a gorilla drumming along to which song?

The 90-second spot cost part of a £6.2 million campaign by Fallon London.

Who created the Marlboro Man in 1954?

The aim was to make filtered cigarettes, then seen as feminine, appeal to men.

Before the cowboy, Marlboro's slogan pitched it as what?

The Burnett campaign made it a men's brand within months.

A 1991 JAMA study found six-year-olds recognised Joe Camel as readily as which logo?

R.J. Reynolds retired the character in 1997 under legal pressure.

Elsie the Cow was created in 1936 as the mascot of which dairy company?

Ad Age named her one of the top 10 advertising icons of the 20th century.

Who drew the original Mr. Peanut for a 1916 contest?

Antonio Gentile's family got five dollars, and Obici later paid his way through medical school.

What is Mr. Peanut's full proper name?

He is said to be of British heritage, hence the monocle and spats.

How many licks did Mr. Owl manage before biting the Tootsie Pop in the 1970 ad?

The cow, fox and turtle had all passed the question along; Paul Winchell voiced the owl.

Who voiced Speedy, the Alka-Seltzer mascot who starred in over 200 TV commercials?

He was designed by illustrator Wally Wood and revived briefly in 2008.

The 'Got Milk?' campaign launched in 1993 with an ad about which historical figure?

Directed by Michael Bay, for the California Milk Processor Board.

The Snuggle fabric-softener bear puppet was created by whom?

Kermit Love also built Big Bird; Corinne Orr was the original voice.

Which mascot was created in 1974 for a French campaign, then redesigned for America in 1988?

The plain 'Old Joe' camel drawing had been on the pack since 1913.

The Doublemint Twins ad campaign began with illustrations in which year?

The first real twins were Marie and Mildred Maier of Silverhill, Alabama.

The M&M's slogan about melting in your mouth, not your hand, was introduced when?

The sugar shell was the whole point: chocolate that travelled in warm climates.

The NBC chimes became the first purely audio service mark registered in the US in which year?

They started as seven notes in 1927 and settled to three: G, E, C.

What are the three notes of the NBC chimes?

The G below middle C, the E above it, then middle C.

Empire Today's name comes from a slogan promising carpet when?

'Empire today, carpet tomorrow'; the Chicago firm was founded as Empire Plastic Covers in 1959.

Kars4Kids, of the notoriously catchy jingle, is based in which state?

It is a Lakewood-based car-donation charity whose proceeds benefit Oorah.

Toys 'R' Us began in 1948 selling what?

Charles Lazarus's Children's Supermart only refocused on toys in 1957.

Where was the Slinky first demonstrated to the public, in November 1945?

The first 400 sold in 90 minutes at a dollar each.

Wrigley Field is named for the family behind which product?

William Wrigley Jr. founded the company in Chicago in 1891.

Miller Lite's origins trace to a reduced-calorie beer from which Chicago brewer?

Meister Brau Lite came out in 1967; Miller went national with Lite in 1975.

Which word replaced 'forest fires' in Smokey Bear's famous slogan in April 2001?

The change followed fires in grasslands and other non-forest areas; the campaign, begun in 1944, is the longest-running PSA in US history.

Which infomercial pitchman sold the ShamWow towel and the Slap Chop?

He also hawked the Schticky lint roller and directed the 1999 film The Underground Comedy Movie.