Design with Character(s)

I went to the bookstore today, Pages, to be specific, and bought some required reading for the course, and as I was approaching the register I saw something fun.

Meet Mr. Product.



This is the title of a book on 'the art of the advertising character.' I thought to myself, 'Self, buy this.' And, so I did. The book is filled with little stories about many, many characters that have been used to sell products. From Aunt Jemima, the Michelin Man, the Kools Penguin, and also a lot of obscure characters like Psyche, the white rock girl, this book has it all.










I particularly like the fact that half of the book has images of the old characters, and is followed by a little write up. The book is sectioned into Food, Drinks, Kids Stuff, Dining, Technology, Home, Automotive and Leisure. A fantastic purchase just to see how things have changed, and to gather some inspiration for a throwback, or even to update an old idea.

Here is a small excerpt.

We share our dinner table with them, trust them with our cars and children, and whether we realize it or not, we've been listening to their counsel for generations. With smiling faces and helpful slogans, the Jolly Green Giant, natty Mr. Peanut, the cute little Morton Salt Girl, and countless other advertising characters have been helping us navigate the grocery aisles and choose our products for years.


Meet Mr. Product - Dots & Husain,
Chronicle Books 2003.