The Creepiest Product Mascots

by Carly Verble

It’s rare to see mascots that represent products like we did way back when.  Companies would rather spend their money on celebrity endorsements in the hope that more consumers will buy their products.  I’m sure Doublemint sold TONS of gum when Chris Brown was their spokesman and Kellogg’s definitely saw a spike in sales after Michael Phelps’ ‘Bong-Gate” incident.  If celebrity endorsements are too risky, they get a professional like Billy Mays, who can literally sell anything.  With his charm and slick salesmanship (read: screaming), it’s impossible to keep anything on the shelves.

However, there are companies who have stuck to the old way of doing things by creating a fictitious character to be their spokesperson.  For many companies, this has proven to be very effective.  Take, for example, Morris the Cat, brand representative of 9 Lives.  This cute, cuddly feline has crawled his way into the hearts and homes of many consumers.  Why?  Because he’s a cute, cuddly cat, that’s why!

Other companies have also tried creating what they may think is a great little mascot to put on the front of boxes, but instead they have created an incredibly creepy spokes-creature that will negatively impact their bottom line.  Making innocent television viewers shudder, change the channel or even defecate in their pants is not an effective way to market a product, unless you’re selling Depends.

Check out page 2 for our list of companies and their product mascots that may have you think twice about buying…