Captain Birdseye has topped the list for the most iconic advertising character on British television, according to a recent TV survey.
According to data by trade journal The Grocer, the mascot for the frozen food brand has snatched the top spot, having served up fish fingers to his young shipmates on screens across the country for 55 years, The Mirror reports.
The recognisable bearded seadog was first played by actor John Hewer in 1967. In more recent years, Italian actor Riccardo Acerbi sent pulses racing when he first took over the role in 2018.
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Coming in second place on the list of best “mascots” for grocery brands was Cadbury's Freddo the Frog, while Aldi's Kevin the Carrot - who first hit screens in Aldi’s Christmas campaign in 2016 - took third place.
Other advertising icons that also made the top 10 list include Marks and Spencer's Percy Pig, which first made a public appearance in 1992; Kellogg's Coco the Monkey; the M&Ms characters and Duracell's speedy bunny.
Another survey by The Grocer's also revealed nine mascots of brands that no longer appear on TV screens but are still missed by the public, who would welcome a comeback.
The flirty Nescafe Gold Blend couple - Tony and Sharon - have been named as the most missed, according to the brand experts. Played by Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan, the coffee brand ran a series of romantic ads for its Gold Blend from 1987-1993. The pair especially captivated the nation with their kiss in 1989, which was watched by 30 million.
Camilla Yates, strategy director at creative agency Elvis, said: “Research has shown that brand characters are more effective drivers of uniqueness than any other identity element, including a brand’s logo. But they go beyond this and cut through to humanise a brand, adding warmth and personality to a set of functional attributes and benefits.”
The Grocer added: “More memorable than a slogan and more reliable than celebrities, mascots have been ‘visceral shortcuts’ for grocery brands seeking cut-though for years.”
Below are the full lists - have any of your favourites been named? Let us know in the comments.
Top 10 telly ad icons and when they were created
1. Captain Birdseye, Birds Eye - 1967
2. Freddo the Frog, Mondelez/Cadbury - 1973
3. Kevin the Carrot, Aldi - 2016
4. Coco the Monkey, Kellogg’s - 1963
5. M&Ms, Mars Wrigley - 1954
6. Julius Pringle, Kellogg’s - 1967
7. Bunny, Duracell - 1973
8. Percy Pig, Marks & Spencer - 1992
9. Peperami Animal, Jack Link’s - 1991
10. Aunt Bessie, Nomad Foods - 1995
And the nine best 'gone but not forgotten' ad icons
1. Tony and Sharon (1987-1993) - The Nescafe Gold Blend couple
2. PG Tips chimps (1956-2002)
3. Smash martians (1974-1992)
4. Oxo family (1958-2016)
5. The Man from Milk Tray (1968-2016)
6. Man from Del Monte (1980s)
7. Knitting nanas (1997-2017) - Shreddies ads
8. George the bear (1980s) - Hofmeister lager
9. Douglas the trombonist (1985-2003) - Lurpak
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