Some brand characters include Dos Equis' "the most interesting man in the world", Jolly Green Giant, and The Michelin Man. These characters are meant to establish long term recognition and should be effective in having a cultural impact. What's the story behind certain brand characters like the Marlboro Man, Pillsbury Doughboy, or Tony the Tiger? How do they embody the brand's identity and appeal to their target market/consumers? How have they evolved over the years?
Let's not forget the Progressive Insurance lady, Flo! She's the best! – Christen Mandracchia9 years ago
I think it would be more interesting to steer away from simply telling the stories of certain brand mascots, towards talking about the development of these mascots over the years, i.e. who they are appealing to, what sort of marketing concepts are they appealing to. While it will be necessary to discuss the stories behind some of them, there should be some discussion about the development over time, and trying to deduce the path into the future of characters in advertising. – Matthew Sims9 years ago
I think it will be more beneficial to narrow down the topic to some specific areas of discussion. A common denominator or target theme might help to have a solid discussion. For example focusing on a few different cosmetic companies as a focal point to see how each use characters to create a familiar brand, who their target consumers were and how have they evolved over the years. – Arazoo Ferozan9 years ago
Two of the commentators before me have focused on the idea of how one of the characters has changed over the years. Two related cases I remember reading something about are Aunt Jemima (with her changing appearances) and the Marlboro Man (introduced to give that cigarette brand an entirely new, masculine association). Rather than track a character over time, it would also be possible to develop a close reading of the character's appearance and performance at any one given moment. – JamesBKelley8 years ago