This review is an excerpt of Michael Pellechia's monthly BookPage business and finance book round-up.

What a Character

20th Century American
Advertising Icons

By Warren Dotz and Jim Morton
Chronicle Books, $16.95

ISBN 0811809366

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Celebrating the icons of advertising

Review by Michael Pellecchia

It's not an organized religion, but the worship of advertising icons is a pervasive part of popular culture. This book parades the well-known and lesser-known triumphs of characterization originating in the world of product advertising. The narrative is generously illustrated in colorful photos of the artifact collection of James Maley, and organized topically by type of character.

The human characters in advertising include stereotypes such as the Quaker Oats Man, Aunt Jemima, the Gold Dust Twins, and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee, some of whom were initially modeled after actual personalities. Fat characters, often used to sell food, include the Campbell Kids, the Sunshine Baker, and Big Boy, who is not only chubby but represents another genre of human character, the stylized mischievous little boy (Marky Maypo, Bazooka Joe, Little Squirt). From the 1930s through the 1950s advertising was peppered with "Dapper Dan" characters such as the Meltonian (shoe polish) Man, Esky (Esquire magazine), Johnnie Walker (Scotch whisky), and the Utica Club (beer) bartender.

Putting faces on faceless products was another common gambit. Mr. Peanut, the Michelin Tire man, and the Kool-Aid Pitcher all winked or smiled at prospective customers. And advertising creators were only being human when they put pets together with products such as Nipper with RCA, the Nestle's Quik Bunny and its competitor, the Bosco Rabbit. Elsie and Elmer the cows sold milk and glue, respectively, for Borden's. The Mack bulldog for Mack Trucks and the sad-eyed basset hound that plied Hush Puppies served their masters well.

This gallery-in-print is fun, attractive, and an enlightening study of the full range of product personages, including pixies, wizards, robots, and even a blob-like critter called Ritalin Man with crossed eyes and a hollow skull, one of many cartoon spokespeople such as Mr. Wiggle, Mr. Bubble, Buster Brown, and of course the California Raisins.

The advertising icon I really miss, though, the one who lampoons all the others, is one not in this book. It's the Sta-Puf marshmallow man in the movie Ghostbusters. Now there was a character.

Michael Pellecchia writes about business and finance books for this publication. He can be reached at michael_pellecchia@bookpage.com.

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