For whatever reason, someone, somewhere, decidedthat fast food restaurants, like sports teams,
need mascots.
They give us all the best fast food advertisementsand, more often than not, they allow for some
serious comic relief.
To help separate the good from the bad, we’veput together a list of our ten favorite fast
food mascots of all time.
Jack – Jack in the Box
For seventy years, Jack in the Box has beena favorite among fast food fans, particularly
those living on the West Coast.
While the majority of its 2200 restaurantsare located in the West, Jack in the Box,
and its famous mascot, Jack, can be foundin big cities all over the United States.
In the restaurant’s television commercials,Jack is depicted as the CEO, founder, and
representative of the company.
From the neck down, Jack is a man like anyother.
His head, however, is more similar to thatof a snowman.
This version of Jack and his iconic yellowclown cap have been repping Jack in the Box
since the mid-nineties, but the character’sorigins go back further than that.
Through the sixties and seventies, the chain’smascot was a massive clown head, dubbed Jack.
He was dropped in 1980, in an effort to makethe brand seem more “mature”.
Jack’s eventual return and transformationin the nineties came about as the result of
an E. Coli scandal earlier in the decade.
His changed appearance was chalked up to the“miracle of plastic surgery”.
The hope was that his reinstatement as theface of the brand would signify a new leaf
in the restaurant’s history and would helpeveryone move on from the messy business that
almost destroyed it.
So we’re all glad to have you back at workJack.
Bee – Jollibee
This mascot is probably the most good-spiritedone on the list, but probably the last one
you’d want to mess with.
Jollibee is a Filipino fast food chain withseveral locations worldwide.
The restaurant, which is best known for itsfried chicken meal, has a mascot named Bee.
Introduced in the early eighties, Bee wasmeant to display optimism and joy, making
restaurant goers feel very welcome and atease at Jollibee.
As is made evident by the name, Bee is ananthropomorphic bumblebee.
Human-sized and colored red and yellow, Beeis usually depicted wearing a chef’s hat
and a suit jacket and bowtie.
As friendly as he looks, Bee isn’t to betaken lightly.
Staying true to nature, Bee has a stingerthat could probably do some significant damage
if he wanted it to.
If you find yourself wondering why Bee looksso familiar, it may be because Mickey Mouse
was used as inspiration in the character’sdesign.
From Bee’s shoes to his face shape, youcan definitely see the Disney influence.
The fact that Bee unconsciously reminds peopleof Mickey Mouse is another point is his favor,
because who doesn't love Mickey?
And who doesn’t love Jollibee?
Maybe their bee mascot has something to dowith this restaurant's growing success.
Where’s the Beef Lady – Wendy’s
OK, when you think Wendy’s the first imageto come to mind is probably the pig-tailed
redhead of the restaurant's namesake.
However, this is not the only mascot associatedwith Wendy’s.
Typically known as the “Where’s the BeefLady”, this Wendy’s mascot is actually
named Clara Peller.
When Peller accepted a role in this Wendy’spromotional campaign in the 1980s, she probably
didn’t realize that she would still be knownin households across America nearly forty
years later.
In the commercial, Peller was given a hamburgerfrom a fictional Wendy’s competitor.
The burger was served in a giant, fluffy bun,as promised by this fictional establishment’s
slogan, “Home of the Big Bun.”
The two other elderly ladies featured alongsidePeller in the commercial poked at the fluffy
bun, saying irately that it “certainly isa very big bun”.
They eventually dissected the burger, to reveala miniature hamburger patty.
The reveal was so upsetting to the ladies,that Peller exclaimed angrily: “where’s
the beef?”.
And the rest is history.
Since then, the question “where’s thebeef,” has become a common turn of phrase,
used in contexts completely unrelated to Wendy’sor hamburgers.
The fact that Peller is still recognized asone of the most iconic fast food mascots of
all time is made all the more impressive bythe fact that she hasn’t starred in commercials
since the eighties.
A few years ago, Wendy’s answered the longstandingquestion in a new advertisement campaign,
where they announced: “here’s the beef.”
Cuppy – Dunkin
Out of all the mascots included on thislist, this is probably the one who gets the
least love.
For some reason, Dunkin Donuts' mascots don'tget nearly as much attention as the mascots
of other fast food chains.
And it's a shame, because this mascot is oneof the best.
You might not have known this, but Dunkinactually has two mascots.
Of course, there’s the donut, Dunkin Donut,but today we’re going to be focusing on
his best friend, Cuppy.
Cuppy looks identical to the cup in the DunkinDonuts logo.
Well, if you ignore the arms, legs, and face,that is.
So maybe not all that identical.
But he is a tall white coffee cup.
That is, when he’s not appearing in hisiced coffee form.
Cuppy has a healthy respect for seasonal fashionand knows that when the weather gets warmer
it’s time for him to trade his white attirefor clear plastic and ice cubes.
Whether he’s appearing in his hot or icedcoffee form, you’re always guaranteed that
Cuppy will be in a good mood.
This mascot is famous for being happy-go-lucky,and with good reason.
Their name might put all the focus on thedonuts, but anyone who knows Dunkin knows
that their coffee is the real deal.
No wonder Cuppy’s always in such a goodmood, when he’s beloved from coast to coast!
Little Caesar – Little Caesar’s
Little Caesar has been around as long as therestaurant he represents.
He started out as a sketch on a napkin andquickly rose to mascot status.
The cartoon Roman has been tweaked slightlyover the years, but, all in all, he hasn’t
changed all that much since the mid-twentiethcentury.
Originally the restaurant’s silent hero,Little Caesar was given the famous phrase
“Pizza!
Pizza!” in the eighties.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s notwhat he says, it’s how he says it.
The mascot’s tone is bright and humorous,and it turned the simple two-word exclamation
into a timeless saying.
While we more than approve of the Little Caesarmascot, it’s probably safe to say that Julius
Caesar, the historical figure from which thebrand takes its name, would be pretty offended
by this cutesy caricature.
Considering his role as a military Generaldictator of the Roman Republic, he'd probably
take this depiction as a major blow to hisstreet cred.
But the cheesiness is what makes Little Caesarso endearing.
And the cheese is what keeps us coming backfor the pizza.
The Hamburglar – McDonald’s
Mickey D’s has several mascots associatedwith its brand (that aren’t clowns) stemming
from the creation of McDonaldland.
When he was first introduced in the early1970s, the Hamburglar was a thing of nightmares.
Luckily, the creators quickly realized thatthe character looked less like a mascot who
was supposed to appeal to children, and morelike someone off of a 10 Most Wanted List.
They completely revamped him.
The Hamburglar we all know and love looksmore like a Muppet on the run from the law.
His crime?
Stealing every hamburger he can get his handson.
Unfortunately for him (but luckily for therest of us), he isn’t usually successful
in his ventures.
Despite the fact that he’s arguably oneof the best fast food mascots out there, this
version of the Hamburglar has hung up hiscape.
McDonald’s brought him back a few yearsago, but instead of a puppet, he’s live
action.
Even more disturbing, he’s been describedas hunky.
This updated version of the Hamburglar hasn’treached the level of popularity of his impish,
Muppet counterpart.
And judging by how iconic the latter incarnationof the Hamburglar got over his forty years
of thieving, he’s not going to be surpassedany time soon.
Wendy – Wendy’s
You can instantly spot a Wendy’s a mileaway, thanks to its mascot, the young girl
who gave the restaurant its name.
Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, drew inspirationfor the brand’s mascot from his eight-year-old
daughter.
Yeah, the rest of us got Legos and Barbiesfor our eighth birthdays; Wendy Thomas got
an entire fast food restaurant chain dedicatedto her.
As a result, she became one of the most recognizablefaces in America (well, her eight-year-old
face is recognizable, we don't know if wecould pick her out of a crowd now that she's
nearing sixty).
The Wendy’s mascot started off as just alogo for the brand but, eventually, Wendy
Thomas starred as her in the restaurant’scommercials.
That’s about as authentic as a mascot canget.
The real Wendy might have grown up, but themascot designed after her is frozen in time.
This mascot has been around for so long thatshe’s inseparable from the fast food chain.
You can’t have one without the other.
Thomas’ decision to design the brand’smascot after his daughter is decidedly wholesome
and makes the restaurant’s atmosphere allthe more welcoming.
Colonel Sanders – KFC
Like the Wendy’s mascot, KFC’s ColonelSanders was based on a real person.
This time, the inspiration was the restaurant’sfounder, Harland David Sanders (sounds like
a Dukes of Hazzard character, doesn’t he?).
Sanders was given the honorary title of KentuckyColonel in 1935, thanks to his culinary contributions.
Sanders might’ve sold off the fast foodchain after thirty years in the business,
but the mascot he inspired stuck around.
Sanders was an active ambassador for the brandright up until his death, and continued to
make appearances in his famous white suitwhile battling cancer.
He was incredibly dedicated to KFC, and wantedto ensure that customers always had the best
experience possible.
You can see why he was chosen to be the faceof the company.
More recently, the fictional version of ColonelSanders has been shoved into the spotlight
of KFC advertisements.
In the past, his personality has kind of takenthe back seat, but now is his time to shine.
Often portrayed by comedians, the opportunitiesfor humor are endless.
But in the end, it’s the friendly, familiarface that keeps us coming back for more.
After all these years, it would be impossibleto trust anyone else to satisfy our KFC cravings.
The Burger King – Burger King
Making Burger King’s mascot a literal kingwas the only logical decision.
Out of all the mascots on this list, the BurgerKing is probably the one who’s gone through
the most transformation.
Back in the fifties, when he was first introduced,the Burger King was an elderly monarch in
a lopsided crown, who was usually depictedsitting on a burger and holding a fountain
drink nearly as big as he was.
Throughout the sixties and seventies, he wastransformed into a caricature of a king, and
given the gold and red royal uniform thatthe mascot continues to be seen in today.
The next iteration of the Burger King wasthe first to be proportioned like an actual
human being.
Today’s version of the mascot is the mostsimilar to this last one.
The only difference is that today’s iterationof the Burger King is portrayed by a real
person, instead of being animated.
Since he’s been around for so long, theBurger King has wormed his way into our hearts.
That being said, this version of the BurgerKing is the creepiest by far.
It probably has something to do with his rubbermask.
Creepiness aside, the most recent iterationof this mascot is the most detailed by far.
His luxurious robes are intricate and hiscrown even has the fast food chain’s logo
printed on it.
Regardless of which design of the Burger Kingis your favorite, you can’t deny that the
restaurant wouldn’t be the same withouthim.
Ronald McDonald – McDonald’s
When you hear the phrase “fast food mascot”,there’s a good chance that the first thing
to come to mind is the only clown that doesn’tscare us half to death.
McDonald’s has had a lot of mascots overthe years, but none of them have ever come
close to reaching the level of fame of theoriginal.
We are, of course, talking about Ronald McDonald.
The red haired, yellow jumpsuit wearing clownhasn’t been around quite as long as McDonald’s,
but the restaurant hadn’t been around longwhen Ronald McDonald first appeared.
Ronald McDonald isn’t just McDonald’smascot.
He also has the honor of being the fast foodchain’s Chief Happiness Officer (or CHO).
Not only that, but he’s also the face ofthe Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit
organization that strives to promote the wellbeingof children.
All these reasons together are what have earnedRonald McDonald the number one spot on the
list of our favorite fast food mascots ofall time.
He does good, he spreads joy, and he’s aclassic.
Pressure has been put on McDonald’s to retireRonald McDonald, with the argument being that
he encourages children to eat fast food, whichis bad for their heath.
McDonald’s stayed strong, refuting the accusationswith the claim that the decision to eat fast
food is an individual choice, and all RonaldMcDonald serves to do is spread joy.
We’re glad he stuck around, because we can’timagine a McDonald’s without Ronald.
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List of the top 10 best fast food mascots ever. These popular advertising heroes are the top 10 fast food mascots that are most memorable. Fast food restaurant branding's most iconic mascots. ➡️ SUBSCRIBE to BabbleTop! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg?sub_confirmation=1 For whatever reason, someone, somewhere, decided that fast food restaurants, like sports teams, need mascots. They give us all the best fast food advertisements and, more often than not, they allow for some serious comic relief. To help separate the good from the bad, we’ve put together a list of our ten favorite fast food mascots of all time. If you enjoyed this list of the top 10 fast food mascots. Make sure to comment: #mascots #fastfood #branding TIMESTAMPS: 0:25 Jack – Jack in the Box 1:51 Bee – Jollibee 3:14 Where’s the Beef Lady – Wendy’s 4:55 Cuppy – Dunkin 6:22 Little Caesar – Little Caesar’s 7:33 The Hamburglar – McDonald’s 8:56 Wendy – Wendy’s 10:08 Colonel Sanders – KFC 11:32 The Burger King – Burger King 13:06 Ronald McDonald – McDonald’s SUMMARIES: - For seventy years, Jack in the Box has been a favorite among fast food fans, particularly those living on the West Coast. - Jollibee mascot is probably the most good-spirited one on the list, but probably the last one you’d want to mess with. - Typically known as the “Where’s the Beef Lady”, this Wendy’s mascot is actually named Clara Peller. - Cuppy looks identical to the cup in the Dunkin Donuts logo. - Originally the restaurant’s silent hero, Little Caesar was given the famous phrase “Pizza! Pizza!” in the eighties. - The Hamburglar we all know and love looks more like a Muppet on the run from the law. - The Wendy’s mascot started off as just a logo for the brand but, eventually, Wendy Thomas starred as her in the restaurant’s commercials. - Like the Wendy’s mascot, KFC’s Colonel Sanders was based on a real person. - Making Burger King’s mascot a literal king was the only logical decision. Out of all the mascots on this list, the Burger King is probably the one who’s gone through the most transformation. - The red haired, yellow jumpsuit wearing clown hasn’t been around quite as long as McDonald’s, but the restaurant hadn’t been around long when Ronald McDonald first appeared. 📺 Top 10 Untold Truths of Fast Food MASCOTS!!! https://youtu.be/SNBOuqyu6rQ ➡️ SUBSCRIBE to BabbleTop! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg?sub_confirmation=1 🥳 JOIN and become a BabbleTop member! https://www.youtube.com/babbletop/join 👕 Check out our MERCH! https://teespring.com/stores/babbletop 🔥 Our Most Popular VIDEOS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOvb3ZRIwh0&list=UUX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg All clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015).