The Lost Candy Mascots Everyone Forgot

Candy mascots have been a part of the most famous brands’ marketing strategy for as long as mass-produced snacks have existed. That’s because it was easy to create a memorable character from television advertising, as it was the main source of entertainment for children for decades. If a mascot was funny, colorful, or had a catchy phrase, kids could quickly associate it with a particular snack.

Some of these “marketing characters” became almost as famous as the products themselves. Candy mascots, such as M&M’s, Mr. Peanut, or Trix Rabbit, survived for generations; some beloved characters disappeared from commercials and packaging. 

In this article, we’ll discuss 5 candy mascots that once played a huge role in making their brands popular and are now rarely remembered.

1. Mr. Owl

It’s hard to forget Mr. Owl once you see the Tootsie Pop commercial and realize that all his fame came from answering one question that sounds simple: how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

That’s the question a boy in the commercial was asking several animals before finally reaching Mr. Owl. Sadly for the boy, the owl decided to find out himself, but after only three licks, he swallowed the entire candy. 

The strangest part is that the commercial was too simple, but it still managed to become one of the most memorable candy ads ever. We can even say that the brand’s instinct to try something that probably shouldn’t have worked and act like you already know the outcome isn’t far from a poker bluff that only pays off if everyone else believes it. Well, whether this strategy is why or not, Mr. Owl was kids’ favorite mascot for decades. 

2. Wonka Characters

When you think of a candy-related fictional world, the first thing that most of us can picture is probably Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Unlike most candy brands that had to invent a mascot from scratch, Wonka had half of the task done with its universe of memorable characters, including Willy Wonka himself and the Oompa Loompas.

Because of this, the branding felt bigger than a normal candy advertisement, and Wonka mascots quickly became famous. Wonka branding appeared on popular candy products, such as Nerds, Spree, Everlasting Gobstoppers, and plenty of chocolate bars.

3. Chester Cheetah

Almost everybody who is a snack lover recognizes Chester Cheetah, a mascot associated with the famous corn snack Cheetos. But it’s less commonly known that before this character, the brand actually had a different mascot. In fact, it was originally represented by the Cheetos Mouse, who appeared in advertising during the brand’s earlier years.

The cheetah that we know today appeared only in 1986, when Chester Cheetah was introduced. Unlike the cute mouse, Chester had a much more confident and rebellious personality. His sunglasses, relaxed looks, and slogans such as “It ain’t easy bein’ cheesy” helped him become one of the most recognizable snack mascots of the 1980s and 1990s.

4. Sugar Bear

There are many cereal brands famous for their mascots instead of the flavors or special ingredients. Sugar Crisp is definitely one of those, and the major reason why this cereal brand managed to stand out was its cute mascot, Sugar Bear.

In general, typical cereal characters tend to be loud and a bit hyperactive, just because they are created to grab children’s attention. But Sugar Bear had a completely different personality. He was calm, confident, and relaxed, and had a calm voice that children loved so much. This, in turn, proves that not every cereal mascot needed to be loud or energetic to become memorable. 

While the cereal is still available today, unfortunately for modern kids, the mascot appears much less frequently in advertising than before.

5. Sour Patch Kids Mascot

Before Sour Patch Kids started using the candy pieces themselves as characters, the brand had a completely different mascot. The original mascot was a blond boy who was sticking out his tongue. Interestingly, this character was based on a real person — a creator, Frank Galatolie’s son, Scott.

In 1992, a girl character was added to Sour Patch Kids, and it was even easier to recognize the packaging. However, in 2010, the brand changed direction and replaced the human mascots with animated versions of the Sour Patch Kids candies themselves.

Bottom Line

Lots of our beloved snack and candy mascots are now only legends. Still, we remember many of them, and whenever we notice these characters somewhere, the strange nostalgic feeling of old times comes back with them. That’s probably the best proof of how powerful mascots used to be. In addition to helping brands sell cereal, candy, or snacks, they became part of childhood memories and made ordinary products feel more entertaining.