Mixed Messages

Some things are a no-brainer.  We take a lot for granted these days so what seems obvious in hindsight can sometimes be the result of years if research and experimentation.  On the other hand, there is such a thing as the "happy accident."  These can happen to anybody when they least expect it and that type of scenario was the basis of a famous ad campaign for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

It was the "go-go 80s" (and late 70s) and people wanted what they wanted...and they wanted it now!  This applied to snacks as much as it applied to junk bonds.  Reese's adopted this spirit of accidental ingenuity with a series of ads showcasing everyday folks inadvertently creating the great taste of chocolate and peanut butter. 

 Here we have two typical 80s young folks on their way somewhere, probably the arcade, when suddenly the unthinkable happens: a corner collision thrusts the guy's generic chocolate bar into the gal's crock of peanut butter (I'm only now picking up on the subtext).  Instead of noticing how weird it is that she was eating peanut butter out of the jar with her hands, the guy pulls his walkman to the side so they could both experience the brand new treat their clumsiness created.  Also they're married now (I just made that last part up).

Next up is another meet cute between a young couple, this time at the movies.  As was common at the time, the young lady is eating peanut butter with a spoon directly from the jar.  I have to assume she brought it from home because I don't recall movie theater concessions selling whole jars in the 80s but perhaps my experience is limited.  Regardless, a jump scare brings our couple together just as it brings their chocolate and peanut butter together.  They celebrate their new love by picking up some Reese's for a less messy movie snack alternative.

And now, some culture.  A night at the opera leads to a new taste sensation.  I assume that the actual opera is about the two ingredients because the singer starts the show by praising his beloved peanut butter.  Whether or not the pratfall is a part of the story or the fault of bad stage management is unclear.  But the results are undeniable: a tasty treat.  

The legacy of these commercials remains to this day as it's not uncommon to hear the old "You got chocolate in my peanut butter" joke whenever somebody gets something into something else.  I still hold out hope that they're due for a comeback.  Maybe if we all started eating peanut butter directly out of the jar in public then it would seem more natural to bring it back.

Cutting Edge

Tucked away in the corner of the Joplin History & Mineral Museum in Joplin, MO, you'll find the "National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum."  It's in between a large exhibit of creepy porcelain dolls and a room filled with creepy circus memorabilia.  It's not too big and more of an exhibit than it's own museum but it's definitely the type of thing to catch my eye.

Here, early 20th century antique snowman cookie cutters share shelf space with contemporary Spider-Man cookie cutters and they all live in harmony.  Product mascots are no stranger to the cookie cutter genre and several of my favorites were represented here.  So I thought I might list a few today on the blog...yeah, that should kill some time...

Before he was de-aged in Crisis of Infinite Earths (or whatever), Mr. Peanut was the suave gentleman who classed up the snack aisle just by being there.  The museum has him in a few poses, including a tip of the hat to whoever is about to eat him.  I imagine these might work best with peanut butter cookies?

Here we have an older M&M design from the days before each flavor had their own distinct personality.  Things were simpler back then.  All the little guys wanted to do was have a swim in the chocolate pool, stand under the candy coating shower and hop into your mouth.  This cookie cutter, of course, would best be used for those type of chocolate chip cookies that have M&Ms instead of chocolate chips.

Next is a smorgasbord of McDonaldland goodness.  There are a couple of Ronald faces, a few Fry Guys and I think the Hamburglar snuck in there.  Of course, some Halloween cookie cutters are also included in that Happy Meal Jack-O-Lantern bucket.  Any mention of cookies and McDonalds takes me back to the old, discontinued McDonaldland cookies from years back.  So I'd used these to make, maybe sugar cookies?  I think that's what they were.

Mr. & Mrs. Pillsbury Doughboy have also joined the party.  I believe their names are actually Poppin' Fresh and Poppie Fresh and they even have an extended family.  But it looks like only these two lovebirds made the (cookie) cut.  Since these guys are all about baking, I could see using them to make some kind of ambitious jam-stuffed cookie. Or some kind of fancy jam covered cookie that you'd see in a magazine but never in real life.  For some reason I think jam is fancy...

I don't necessarily think of delicious baked goods when I think of the Michelin Man but I guess I should start.  The shape of this cutter doesn't include the tire layers of his body so I have to wonder what a Michelin Man cookie would a actually look like.  If you were served one, would you have any clue who it was supposed to be?  A friendly blob waving hello?  As for what kind of cookies I would make with this, maybe something light an airy, you know, like a tire.  Can you use these on puff pastries?

There were plenty more cookie cutters to be found at the museum, of course.  I saw a rare Blondie and Dagwood set and a U.S. map with cutters representing all the states, even the little weird ones in New England that nobody can remember.  If you're ever in the area and want to pay homage to the beautifully mundane, you could do worse. 

Winner Winner

An earlier entry briefly mentioned the Chicken Dinner Candy Truck which promoted the oddly named Chicken Dinner Candy bars. Here is a vintage picture of it from "Special Interest Autos" magazine.

While trying to wrap my brain around this concept I stumbled onto a better picture of the truck from Charles Phoenix's website. 

Apparently the Chicken Dinner Candy Bar contained 0% chicken and was promoted more as a filling meal than as a snack. Since they don't seem to be around anymore we can assume their marketing failed on all fronts.

Further investigation revealed that the company created not one, but a fleet of Chicken Dinner Candy Trucks to spread the word. This picture from the "Kitschy Kitschy Coo" website confirms no less than nine of the trucks existed at one point.

While this proud poultry parade may have disappeared from the highways forever, my own personal travels brought about the discovery of a similar chicken themed vehicle. This picture was taken near Paducah, KY:

This modified El Caballero may or may not have promoted a chicken related product or service. I have no details about it and it will most likely remain shrouded in mystery forever. And that's probably okay.

Emerald Frylight

Previously:

The Colonel of Two Worlds  - -   Next Fry Day

You thought your lunch was safe...and it essentially is.  But adventure calls!  Once again a hero rises from the deep fried ashes of Valhalla to insure the herbage and spiciness of your meal will be finger lickin' adequate.  So grab a spork and let's dive into the latest extra crispy adventure of Colonel Sanders as he teams up with Green Lantern in "Across the Universe."

Our story begins as Ferris Aircraft monitors the  crash landing of...something.  As those vultures from the press crowd in to get their pound of chicken flesh, a familiar figure emerges with the payload from the downed spacecraft:

Apparently the Colonel has been testing the process of shooting his new Zinger Sandwich into space...for...some reason.  I assume he's trying to break into the intergalactic fast food market.  But since Ferris can't get the job done he turns to one of his super powered pals for help.

"Every member of the Green Lantern Corp is working on this."  Every single member has ceased protecting their respective sectors in order to help move sandwiches around in space.  Seems legit.  On the brightest (day) side, that comes with the opportunity to have some sweet GL cameos:

The (entire membership of) Green Lanterns determine that for some reason the space buckets are showing up to their destinations empty.  Not so much as an herb or a spice (or that one napkin they give you in the drive thru) make the intergalactic trip.  An investigation is in order and that can only mean one thing:  time to get deputizin'.

So the Colonel gets his own ring but there's a bit of a missed opportunity in that he doesn't give himself his own custom GL uniform.  I guess KFC thought his trademark white suit just couldn't be messed with.  But that's the only opportunity they missed since their intergalactic investigation led to a few DC Comics cameos:

After a quick stop at the Source Wall, the cop buddy road trip heads to Rann to say high to Adam Strange.  And then a quick stop at Thanagar:

to check in with Hawk Girl.  At this point it just seems like Green Lantern is showing off all the cool people he knows to the Colonel.  Sanders didn't have enough time to be impressed since they picked up enough clues to lead them right to the prime suspect.

So we then get your standard fight scene as Larfleeze gives his usual spiel about how he's greedy and he wants and wants and wants and that he's totally into these new space sandwiches.  But the Colonel has heard enough and, as the true businessman, comes up with the most profitable solution.

Yep, the logical solution to this problem is to give Larfleeze his very own KFC franchise to run.  Makes perfect sense, right?  Well it doesn't if you don't think about it too much.  All that's left is to give a little praise for a job well done:

Great job guys!  Just like the last couple of issues with the Flash, it looks like they aren't making print copies of this adventure.  Digital only, so grab your copy from Comixology.

Munch Madness 2020

Previously:

Munch Madness 2019  - -  Munch Madness 2018

It'ss that time of year again!  Let the madness commence!  This time it's not just the sweet treats of Little Debbie competing.  We've got some new competitors.  But let's get the main event out of the way:

Congrats to Nutty Buddies, your 2020 Little Debbie Champion!  But they're not alone when it comes to this year's victory.  A&W Restaurants are also joining the fray. 

Full disclosure: I've only eaten there a handful of times.  I usually stop in to satisfy a chili dog craving but I think I've sampled enough of their menu to work my way through the brackets.  Let's see how it turned out:

No surprise here.  Their signature root beer makes a great root beer float and that's our winner.  I'll need to stop by soon to get myself a celebratory dessert.

And finally, the Popicon Blog is ranking the best product mascots of all time.  This one was right up my alley so I had to give it a try.  But there were some tough choices to be made.  I'm still not 100% sure about every win/loss but it is what it is:

Congrats to the one and only Cap'n Crunch for pulling out a victory against some fierce competition.  So what do you think?  Agree?  Disagree?  Feel like arguing any of my picks?  Well, let me have it! 

Mountain Done

Several years back there was a pretty famous lawsuit involving a claim by a soda enthusiast that a mouse was found in his can of Mountain Dew.  The idea of a drowned rodent floating in what was once a refreshing beverage was enough to get headlines on its own but what really got people's attention was Pespi's (the creator of Mountain Dew) "defense."

Their expert testified that the amount of time a can of the Dew spends between going from the factory to the shelf was more than enough to completely dissolve the mouse's flesh.  So essentially they said that the guy couldn't have found a mouse because in the three weeks the little guy would have spent in the can, the bubbly brew would disintegrate it.

This full disclosure of innard tickling really struck a chord with me.  So like any normal person I bought a frozen rat from the pet store and soaked it in a jar of Mountain Dew for several weeks.  Then I made a video about it.  Enjoy! (WARNING: it gets gross)

Smokey Bear Top 5

Beaver's Bend State Park in southeastern Oklahoma is in the middle of a heavily forested area that has been a big part of the lumber industry for years.  That industry, and its history, is celebrated at the park's museum.  Several displays include large murals painted by artist Harry Rossoll.  If you don't recognize the name, you'll definitely recognize his most famous creation:

Since good ol' Smokey fits right in with the Forest Heritage themes of the museum, they have a display of Smokey memorabilia.  So, as I sometimes do, I decided to rank them in a Top Five List.  Let's get started with...

5.  The True Story of Smokey Bear Comic

I've covered this comic before on the blog but I think it's worth mentioning again.  Several product mascots have appeared in comic format before (although not nearly enough) but this one chronicles real life events that led to the Smokey Phenomena.  It's a great piece of an American legacy.

4.  Smokey & His Friends One Act Play Kit

I've never been a huge theater guy but I'd love to see a production of this.  I'm guessing it would be kids in cardboard cutout masks portraying various woodland creatures with an overall message of "Don't light stuff on fire" and that's really all it would need to be. 

3.  Little Golden Book

Slight breach of etiquette here with the inclusion of "the" in Smokey's name but the Little Golden Book franchise is legendary and being included is quite the feather in his famous hat.  I've never seen the Pillsbury Doughboy or the Green Giant in one of these things (even though I'd love to) so Smokey is breathing rarefied air.

2.  Sheet Music

Smokey is not the only ad icon to have his own theme song but he may be the only one with a song that has four verses.  Gather round the piano with the rest of the choir and belt out the Ballad of Smokey...what could be better?

1.  Special Edition Doll

Look at this thing!  I wish there was something in the shot for perspective to show how big it is.  It's pretty good size, maybe slightly smaller than a Chucky doll (for lack of a better comparison).  I don't have any real info on it other than it's a "Special Edition," but it's clearly the star of the display.

Smokey's had a long and distinguished career and his influence has spread to a variety of mediums.  These few examples are hopefully just the beginning of of an even longer influence for years to come.

The Rise & Fall of the Avocardo

The Avacardo had a brief brush with fame a few years ago when it was featured in a commercial for Subway Sandwiches.  It only appeared for a second or two but it made a big impact on viewers...or maybe just me....

You can see its quick (and as far as I know only) appearance here:

I was never sure if this was just a prop for the commercial or an actual working vehicle.  But if Subway was smart they would have gotten this thing on the road ASAP...and maybe team up with the Guac Mobile!

A year or two later this one-of-a-kind beauty was put up for sale.  News broke on the Autoevolution website with pics from the Craigslist listing:

Looks like the glory days are well behind the Avocardo.  It's got some slight bruising and is well past its ripe stage.  But I think all it needs is a little TLC (and lemon juice) and I bet that it would be a great project for a guacamole enthusiast.

Here is the actual listing (UPDATE: I guess it sold.  The add has been taken down).  Feel free to make an offer.  Thanks, once again to Uncle Frank for the heads up!

The Shoe Maker

There's no bigger food icoan than Ronald McDonald and when he needs to get around, his ride of choice is the Big Red Shoe Car.  There are  a few different versions out there.  The one in the Houston metro area was created by Jason Barnett and I had the chance to talk with him about his four-wheeled footwear.

Me: How did you get involved with the creation of the Shoe Car?

Jason Barnett: In about April of 2002, a friend of mine was one of the local Ronald McDonald's that made appearances at McDonald's events. He came to me and said that the Texas Gulf Coast McDonald's were looking to have a promotional vehicle made is the shape of a Ronald McDonald clown shoe and that they were going to have some of the local art car parade guys bid and build it. My friend Bill (Ronald), told me of a meeting that was to take place the next day in Houston about the shoe car idea and if I wanted to get a bid in that I had better have something ready by that morning. I immediately did a quick sketch of my idea and built a remote control model of my idea using a PT Cruiser remote control car that I bought and removed the body from.

JB: I worked all through the night and at about 5 am the remote control car was finished. The problem was, at the time I lived in Midlothian and it was a 4 hour drive to the meeting. I drove all the way down to Houston and handed over the car sketches and the remote control model. Bill is the ultimate in presenters and showmen. He waited for the meeting to start with all of the board members at their giant table and then flung open the doors and drove the remote control car into the room. Instantly my phone was ringing and the board wanted to meet. Over the next few months we went back and forth over the design and over a year later I received a check to get started.

Me: How long did it take to design and build?

JB: The actual construction process involved about two years of hard labor and itching from the fiberglass body. I had underbid the project so badly that I had to take on other jobs to fund the project. If not for that blunder, it would only have taken about a year to complete. As I was building the car, improvements were made to its design. The first thing was that I decided to make the entire nose of the car flip forward to access the engine and I decided to have suicide doors.

JB: The car was about 8ft wide in the front and narrowed down to about 4ft wide at the rear. It would have been very difficult to get to the engine with a normal car style hood. Originally the car was to be built on a 2003 Chevy1/2 ton truck chassis with a 6 cylinder engine. When I went down to buy a truck from the dealership, they made me a better deal on a truck with a V8 and cruise control. I have personally driven the shoe car well over 100mph!

Me: What was your favorite part of the process?

JB: As far as my favorite part of building the car goes. I would have to say that was when I got the fiberglass body back in from the workshop that hand laid the fiberglass. We didn't use molds. I carved the shape of the car out of huge blocks of foam and then coated them with layers of drywall mud to fill in the imperfections. The giant mock-up was sprayed with latex paint to create a barrier from the fiberglass. Once the fiberglass was laid up on the mockup and cured, I popped the new fiberglass body off of the foam. I still had a lot of hand work to do to the body, but at that point the car was coming to life. Anytime a new part was added- doors,hood, hatchback,etc., it was necessary to drive it around to test for problems and rattles. There was nothing like watching kids and adults freak out as I drove past in the 23 ft long shoe.

JB: I had it in my head from the beginning that I was going to be able to pull this off entirely by myself. Luckily for me, I had a lot of friends and family that volunteered and spent endless days and nights to make this project a reality.

Check out Jason's website for more of his unique work:

http://www.jasonbarnett.net

He's a very talented guy and we hope to cover his upcoming projects so check back soon for more details!

Breakfast Feud

The best feuds usually have a few things in common: they are longstanding & involve two evenly matched powerhouses.  This is not that kind of feud.  This is completely one-sided and happened relatively quickly between a popular cereal mascot and an unpopular one.  And even the winner ended up losing...

If you're wasting your time reading a blog about product mascots then you've probably heard of Quisp.  He's the wacky alien mascot who always speaks in his "outside voice" about the cereal with which he shares his name.  Total solo act, right?  Sure, he has that vibe but he was originally a part of a duo.

This commercial was the debut for both Quisp (little alien guy) and Quake (big miner guy).  They were both supposed to be representative of various frontiers.  Quisp cashed in on the excitement of the growing space exploration program since his domain was outer space.  As for Quake, his stomping ground was "inner space."  So he essentially liked to dig in the ground.  Clearly he was at a disadvantage from the beginning.

Before you start questioning the legitimacy of this feud, take another look at the .gif above.  Quisp pulls a gun on Quake!  In their first appearance!  The little announcer guy throws fuel on the fire by immediately instructing kids to pick their favorite (and essentially vote with their wallets...or their parents' wallets).

And just like that, the feud began.  So to celebrate this rivalry, here are some arbitrary facts about the unlikely pair.

They Both Got Merch

Fifty cents and two box tops would have gotten you one of these sweet Quisp or Quake plush dolls that you could eat breakfast with.  Of course, again, you'd have to choose.  I mean, I suppose you could get both but that would take an entire dollar and four box tops and an amount of parental patience and interest that probably wasn't too likely back in those days. 

If you do a search on eBay today of both "Quisp" and "Quake" you'll find that Quisp easily has more merchandise.  Consider it the spoils of war awarded to the feud winner.

Quake Got a Makeover

Miners have yet to really get their due when it comes to showbiz popularity.  And since cowboys were really popular back in the day, the powers-that-be decided it was time for a change.  Perhaps demonstrating a lack of faith in the character, Quake was switched from an "inner space" guy to a "cowboy" guy.  The ad boys leaned into it and produced a commercial showing Quake hopping into a makeover machine and coming out a lean, mean cowpoke desperate to sell cereal.

The Duo Was a Trio Briefly

In that age of prosperity, cereal was selling and "more" was "better" so Quaker decided to roll out a third cereal...perhaps an eventual replacement for Quake?  So Simon the Quangeroo was born and his orange flavored cereal hit the shelves. 

Perhaps indicative of some elitism on Quisp's part, Simon was mainly paired with Quake.  There was one commercial where Simon and Quisp competed with each other in a race across the country but, alas, the fix was in and Quisp took the win.  The loss shook Simon and he inevitably disappeared joining Fruit Brute & Yummy Mummy in fruit flavored obscurity.  

The Gang Existed in the Cap'n Crunch Extended Universe

These days we're used to shared universes, with every Avenger happy to pop up in each other's movies and whatnot. But before our favorite heroes took on Thanos and even before Laverne & Shirley teamed up with Fonzie, an even more epic cross-over took place on the small screen.  

Since all parties involved were owned by Quaker, it wasn't a big deal to get them together for a special occasion.  This occasion was the giveaway of Matchbox Cars and you can even see the animosity between the boys in the .gif above as the poor Cap'n is caught in the middle.

Well, a rivalry like this couldn't last...and it didn't.  Eventually Quake went away, perhaps buried in his beloved inner space, for good.  Quisp continued his reign for several years...until he didn't.  His cereal eventually went away, for the most part, but he's had a resurgence or two over the years.  

You can still find it on the shelves of certain stores if you're lucky.  But if you decide to pick up box, spare a thought for an old friend...a long lost miner/cowboy who never stood a chance in the cutthroat world of breakfast cereals.