We were recently asked by a client to help them re-brand and create a new ‘character’ to help promote their brand. This got us thinking about some of the best, and worst, “spokespersonalities” in recent years. We surveyed our team to gauge which brands have done the best to promote their products or services thorough their fictional brand ambassadors. There were a few that the team unanimously agreed were great and others that we all hope will fade off into non-existence like the Micro Machine guy. Here is a list of some of the best and worst in the opinion of the Search Control team.
Our Top 3 Picks:
The Most Interesting Man in the World
He lives vicariously through himself. He has won the lifetime achievement award, twice. In museums, he is allowed to touch the art. He is …The Most Interesting Man in the World. This was an advertising campaign for the Dos Equis brand of beer starring Jonathan Goldsmith as “the world’s most interesting man” and are narrated by Frontline’s Will Lyman. The advertisements first began appearing in the United States in 2006 and have since then become one of the most popular spokes characters of all time also becoming a massive internet meme. In March 2016, Dos Equis announced Goldsmith’s retirement from the role, with a commercial sending him on a one-way journey to Mars amid much acclaim, and the narration: “His only regret is not knowing what regret feels like.”
MAYHEM
For years, Allstate’s antihero spokesman has warned about the dangers of texting drivers, faulty GPS systems and raccoons in the attic, and more recently, the Mayhem is your own ineptitude (Do It Yourslef Projects). Playing Mayhem is an “outside-in” job, says its star, Dean Winters: He puts on the suit and the makeup, and he is immediately in character.
THE OLD SPICE GUY
For years, the deodorant maker has built its wacky brand universe around a split personality: the high-octane intensity of Terry Crews and the debonair, groomed swagger of Isaiah Mustafa, although Isiah was the original. Mustafa is widely known as the main character in the series of Old Spice television commercials, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”, a muscular former NFL player who usually appear shirtless.
Our Bottom 3 Picks:
FLO
Flo is actress Stephanie Courtney, a veteran of L.A.’s improv scene, episodic TV and movies who started the insurance ads in 2008. She has a career most TV commercial actors would die for: a steady gig, a contract and salary reported to be $500,000 a year. Flo, who is seen by many, with her too-happy demeanor and plastic sheen, as somewhat creepy, Is BY FAR one of our least favorite on this list and we hope she would just go away.
THE AFLAC DUCK
Since it’s conception all the way back in 1999, the Aflac duck has starred in more than 30 commercials. For 11 years the duck was voiced by non-other than Gilbert Gottfriend until he was dismissed dude to postings on his Twitter account cracking humor at the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. He was soon replaced by Daniel McKeague, a television advertising sales manager. The Aflack duck is so popular that in 2005 the company logo was changed to incorporate the duck. There’s no signs of this duck going away, but we really wish it would.
JARED FROM SUBWAY
Although he is was not playing a fictional character, it is without question that this spokesperson needs to be at the furthest bottom of the list. We definitely were tired of seeing “the pants” for all those years and with the recent discovery of him being associated with a child pornography ring, we are glad to see he is finally done.
